Brain behavior and immunity: twenty years of T cells

Abstract

During the period from 1987 to 2007, our understanding of nervous system-T lymphocyte bi-directional communication advanced exponentially. Progress in exploring these relationships was aided by the constant development of new, cutting-edge technologies, and by a steady growth in interest, and number, of scientists who recognized the need to conduct cross-disciplinary research. In this brief review of 20 years of Brain, Behavior, and Immunity (BBI), we highlight just a small number of the important studies published in the journal that collectively have provided the foundation for our current understanding of brain, behavior, and, specifically, T cells.

Figure 1.

On the path from immature, double positive (CD4⁺CD8⁺) thymocyte to memory cell, each arrow in this figure represents a maturational stage at which T cells are subject to regulatory processes. These processes are dictated by complex mechanisms, including the actions of other cells in the immune cascade, chemokines, and by the quality of an encounter with antigen. As well, the brain exerts regulatory control over T cell development, and many of the important papers that have documented the relationship between the brain and T cells have been published in Brain, Behavior and Immunity.