Neuroimmune interactions in the olfactory epithelium: maintaining a sensory organ at an immune barrier interface.

Publication date: Nov 15, 2024

While primarily a sensory organ, the mammalian olfactory epithelium (OE) also plays a critical role as an immune barrier. Mechanisms governing interactions between the immune system and this specialized chemosensory tissue are gaining interest, in part sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic. Regulated inflammation is intrinsic to normal mucosal healing and homeostasis, but prolonged OE inflammation is associated with persistent loss of smell, belying the intertwining of local mucosal immunology and olfactory function. Evidence supports bidirectional communication between OE cells and the immune system in health and disease. Recent investigations suggest that neuro-immune cross-talk modulates olfactory stem cell behavior and neuronal regeneration dynamics, prioritizing the epithelial-like non-neuronal framework with immune barrier function at the expense of the neurosensory organ in chronic inflammation.

Concepts Keywords
Covid chronic inflammation
Healing horizontal basal cells
Homeostasis immune barrier
Neuroimmune olfactory epithelium
Organ regeneration

Semantics

Type Source Name
disease IDO role
pathway REACTOME Immune System
disease MESH COVID-19 pandemic
disease MESH inflammation
disease MESH loss of smell
disease IDO cell

Original Article

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