Department of Internal Medicine and Center of Excellence for Biomedical Research, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.
Neuroendocrinology. 2012;95(4):267-76. doi: 10.1159/000334612. Epub 2012 Jan 12.
During the last two decades, research into the modulation of immunity by the neuroendocrine system has flourished, unravelling significant effects of several neuropeptides, including somatostatin (SRIH), and especially cortistatin (CST), on immune cells. Scientists have learnt that the diffuse neuroendocrine system can regulate the immune system at all its levels: innate immunity, adaptive immunity, and maintenance of immune tolerance. Compelling studies with animal models have demonstrated that some neuropeptides may be effective in treating inflammatory disorders, such as sepsis, and T helper 1-driven autoimmune diseases, like Crohn's disease and rheumatoid arthritis. Here, the latest findings concerning the neuroendocrine control of the immune system are discussed, with emphasis on SRIH and CST. The second part of the review deals with the immune response to neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). The anti-NET immune response has been described in the last years and it is still being characterized, similarly to what is happening for several other types of cancer. In parallel with investigations addressing the mechanisms by which the immune system contrasts NET growth and spreading, ground-breaking clinical trials of dendritic cell vaccination as immunotherapy for metastatic NETs have shown in principle that the immune reaction to NETs can be exploited for treatment.
在过去的二十年中，神经内分泌系统对免疫的调节作用的研究蓬勃发展，揭示了几种神经肽，包括生长抑素（SRIH），尤其是皮质抑素（CST），对免疫细胞的重要影响。科学家们了解到，弥散性神经内分泌系统可以在所有层面上调节免疫系统：先天免疫、适应性免疫和免疫耐受的维持。具有动物模型的引人注目的研究表明，一些神经肽可能对治疗炎症性疾病（如败血症）和 T 辅助 1 驱动的自身免疫性疾病（如克罗恩病和类风湿关节炎）有效。在这里，讨论了关于免疫系统的神经内分泌控制的最新发现，重点是 SRIH 和 CST。综述的第二部分涉及到对神经内分泌肿瘤（NETs）的免疫反应。近年来已经描述了针对 NET 的免疫反应，并且仍在对其进行表征，类似于对几种其他类型的癌症所做的研究。与研究旨在阐明免疫系统对抗 NET 生长和扩散的机制平行的是，树突状细胞疫苗免疫疗法治疗转移性 NET 的开创性临床试验原则上表明，对 NET 的免疫反应可以被利用来进行治疗。
