The nervous system and the immune system are interacting in manifold ways that are not fully understood. It was recently discovered that both systems make use of the same messenger protein, TNF-alpha, for very different purposes.
While the brain uses it for the regulation of its activity, the immune system uses it to signal inflammations. In order to better understand the consequences of the dual use of TNF-alpha by the different systems, we implemented a computational model simulating its role in the regulation of brain activity.
The model explains how brain inflammations, which raise TNF-alpha levels, may increase the risk of epileptic seizures by derailing the homeostatic control of brain activity and points out a potential target for clinical interventions.
Journal of the Royal Society Interface
Journal of the Royal Society Interface is the Society's cross-disciplinary publication promoting research at the interface between the physical and life sciences. It offers rapidity, visibility and high-quality peer review and is ranked fifth in JCR's multidisciplinary category. The journal also incorporates Interface Focus, a peer-reviewed, themed supplement, each issue of which concentrates on a specific cross-disciplinary subject.
Journal of the Royal Society Interface
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