Bacterial meningitis hits an immunosuppressive nerve

Zanluqui, Nagela G.; McGavern, Dorian B.

doi:10.1038/d41586-023-00540-0

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01 March 2023

Bacterial meningitis hits an immunosuppressive nerve

Bacteria that cause meningitis have been found to stimulate nerve fibres in the brain’s meninges to release a neuropeptide molecule that dampens the response of immune cells and aids bacterial invasion of the central nervous system.

Nagela G. Zanluqui⁰ &
Dorian B. McGavern¹

Nagela G. Zanluqui
1. Nagela G. Zanluqui is in the Viral Immunology and Intravital Imaging Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20882, USA.
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Dorian B. McGavern
1. Dorian B. McGavern is in the Viral Immunology and Intravital Imaging Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20882, USA.
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Meningitis is a disease that occurs when bacteria enter the lining of the brain (the meninges) and trigger a potent inflammatory response. The disease is potentially life-threatening, with a high mortality rate if left untreated, and those who do survive often experience prolonged neurological complications¹. Although much is known about the disease process associated with bacterial meningitis, there are key gaps in our understanding of how immune cells mount their defence against the bacteria and protect the underlying brain from damage. Writing in Nature, Pinho-Ribeiro et al.² identify a relationship between sensory neurons and immune cells in the meninges that facilitates bacterial invasion and the development of meningitis in mice. The authors demonstrate that bacteria can enhance their spread into the central nervous system (CNS) by stimulating meningeal sensory neurons to release a neuropeptide molecule that dampens the activity of immune cells that act as sentinels.

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Nature 615, 396-397 (2023)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-023-00540-0

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