Systems neuroimmunology: current bottlenecks, research priorities and future directions

Harini Iyer¹, Christophe Benoist², Staci D Bilbo^{3

4}, Lisa M Boulanger^{5

6}, Michael D Burton⁷, Brian P Daniels⁸, Aleksandra Deczkowska⁹, Martin F Flajnik¹⁰, Mélanie G Gareau¹¹, Peter M Grace¹², Javier E Irazoqui¹³, Susanna Rosi¹⁴, Irene Salinas¹⁵, Anne Schaefer^{16

17}, Caroline L Sokol¹⁸, Dionna W Williams¹⁹, Robyn S Klein²⁰

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biosciences, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA.
² Department of Immunology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
³ Department of Pediatrics, Lurie Center for Autism, Massachusetts General Hospital for Children, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
⁴ Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
⁵ Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
⁶ Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
⁷ Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, USA.
⁸ Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA.
⁹ Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Inserm U1224, Paris, France.
¹⁰ Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
¹¹ Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Cell Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA.
¹² Laboratories of Neuroimmunology, Department of Symptom Research, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
¹³ Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA.
¹⁴ Altos Labs Bay Area Institute of Science, Redwood City, CA, USA.
¹⁵ Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA.
¹⁶ Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
¹⁷ Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing, Cologne, Germany.
¹⁸ Center for Immunology & Inflammatory Diseases, Division of Rheumatology, Allergy & Immunology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
¹⁹ Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
²⁰ Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada. rklein8@uwo.ca.

PMID: 39939753
PMCID: PMC12016954
DOI: 10.1038/s41590-025-02092-z

Systems neuroimmunology: current bottlenecks, research priorities and future directions

Harini Iyer et al. Nat Immunol. 2025 Mar.

. 2025 Mar;26(3):325-329.

doi: 10.1038/s41590-025-02092-z.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biosciences, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA.
² Department of Immunology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
³ Department of Pediatrics, Lurie Center for Autism, Massachusetts General Hospital for Children, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
⁴ Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
⁵ Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
⁶ Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
⁷ Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, USA.
⁸ Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA.
⁹ Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Inserm U1224, Paris, France.
¹⁰ Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
¹¹ Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Cell Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA.
¹² Laboratories of Neuroimmunology, Department of Symptom Research, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
¹³ Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA.
¹⁴ Altos Labs Bay Area Institute of Science, Redwood City, CA, USA.
¹⁵ Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA.
¹⁶ Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
¹⁷ Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing, Cologne, Germany.
¹⁸ Center for Immunology & Inflammatory Diseases, Division of Rheumatology, Allergy & Immunology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
¹⁹ Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
²⁰ Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada. rklein8@uwo.ca.

PMID: 39939753
PMCID: PMC12016954
DOI: 10.1038/s41590-025-02092-z

Abstract

Strategies to advance the field of neuroimmunology by embracing its complexity via inclusion of its multidisciplinary properties were discussed at a meeting in Cold Spring Harbor. Attendees proposed fostering of open communications and funding of collaborations across disciplines, and the recognition that our understanding of the neuroimmune system requires interdisciplinary science.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: C.L.S. is a paid consultant for Bayer and Merck and receives sponsored research support from GSK. The remaining authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

**Fig. 1 |. Bottlenecks and research priorities for neuroimmunology.**
A summary of the current challenges (such as biological complexity, technological limitations and translational challenges) and future research priorities and directions for the field of neuroimmunology.

See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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Systems neuroimmunology: current bottlenecks, research priorities and future directions

Affiliations

Systems neuroimmunology: current bottlenecks, research priorities and future directions

Authors

Affiliations

Abstract

Conflict of interest statement

Figures

References

Grants and funding

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Full Text Sources