While it may appear that the nervous and immune systems exist as two separate entities, groundbreaking observations have positively identified anatomic connections between elements of the nervous system and cells of adaptive immunity.

Building on this research, Autonomic Neuroimmunology presents a scientific discussion of the current understanding of these vital neuroimmunological interactions and their implications for normal psychology and disease states. Contributors document the cell biological mechanisms for the neuropeptide activation of mast cells, and analyze how one or more adrenergenic and peptidergic messengers modulate immunity. They also explain the pathways by which cholinergic factors may suppress immunological inflammation. The potential implications of organ system-selective neuroimmunology for host defense and diseases are thoroughly discussed for the skin, the intestines, the bladder, and the lungs.

With modern neuroimmunology now firmly established as a scientific discipline, this volume supports this promising science as a pathway to novel diagnostic and therapeutic techniques for diseases of the neural, immune, and endocrine systems.