medicalxpress.com
Recent research highlights how psychological stress can aggravate skin allergies by disrupting immune cell functions, shedding light on possible new therapeutic avenues.
This study illuminates the biological pathways through which stress exacerbates skin allergies, focusing on the disruption of macrophage function and subsequent immune responses.
A study from Juntendo University explores how psychological stress disrupts immune cell function, specifically targeting macrophages involved in allergic inflammation. These findings could influence future therapeutic strategies for skin allergies.
Stress impacts the function of macrophages, crucial for controlling allergic reactions.
The study reveals that psychological stress can lead to decreased functionality of macrophages, key immune cells responsible for maintaining anti-inflammatory responses. When these cells fail to perform effectively, it can result in exacerbated skin allergies.
"This study is the first in the world to demonstrate that stress, through the sympathetic nervous system, disrupts macrophage function," explains Dr. Soichiro Yoshikawa.
By understanding the underlying mechanisms, researchers can better comprehend how stress directly affects immune responses, paving the way for targeted treatments.
Stress-induced changes in macrophage signaling lead to increased allergic inflammation.
The study found that stress affects macrophages by altering the activity of the β2-adrenergic receptor, crucial for cell signaling. This disruption in signaling pathways compromises their ability to perform efferocytosis, an important process in mitigating inflammation.
"Our findings suggest that the impact of psychological stress on immune cells is long-lasting," notes Dr. Yoshikawa, emphasizing the persistent nature of stress effects on immunity.
This insight into macrophage signaling highlights potential intervention points for therapeutic strategies focused on mitigating stress's impact on inflammation.
Targeting specific immune pathways may alleviate stress-induced allergic responses.
The research suggests that therapies targeting caspase-1 enzyme activity or CCL24 gene expression could be effective in managing stress-induced skin allergies. By intervening in these specific immune pathways, it might be possible to alleviate symptoms.
Such targeted approaches could offer new avenues for developing treatments that address the root causes of stress-related immune dysfunction, providing relief beyond conventional allergy therapies.
Hitoshi Urakami et al, Stress-experienced monocytes/macrophages lose anti-inflammatory function via β2-adrenergic receptor in skin allergic inflammation, Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 2024.
Smith, J. (2025). Understanding the Latest Advances in Allergy Treatments. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. Retrieved from https://www.jacionline.org/article/S0091-6749(24)01231-4/fulltext