Abstract
The contemporary understanding that the immune response significantly supports higher brain functions has emphasized the notion that the brain's condition is linked in a complex manner to the state of the immune system. It is therefore not surprising that immunity is a key factor in shaping brain aging. In this perspective article, we propose amending the Latin phrase “mens sana in corpore sano” (“a healthy mind in a healthy body”) to “a healthy mind in a healthy immune system.” Briefly, we discuss the emerging understanding of the pivotal role of the immune system in supporting lifelong brain maintenance, how the aging of the immune system impacts the brain, and how the potential rejuvenation of the immune system could, in turn, help revitalize brain function, with the ultimate ambitious goal of developing an anti-aging immune therapy.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 140-153 |
| Number of pages | 14 |
| Journal | Neuron |
| Volume | 113 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| Early online date | 27 Dec 2024 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 8 Jan 2025 |
Funding
We apologize to all those colleagues whose work was discussed without citation due to space constraints. We thank G. Brodsky for valuable help in designing the figures and S. Schwarzbaum for contributing to editing the manuscript. Schwartz’s research group is supported by the Advanced European Research Council (grant no. 7417), the Israel Science Foundation (ISF research grant no. 991/16), and the ISF Legacy Heritage Bio-Medical Science Partnership (research grant no. 1354/15). We thank the Thompson Foundation for their generous support of our AD research. M.A.A. is supported by a postdoctoral fellowship from “Fundacion Ramon Areces.”
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- General Neuroscience