| First Author | Piras G | Year | 2020 |
| Journal | Brain Behav Immun | Volume | 87 |
| Pages | 689-702 | PubMed ID | 32126289 |
| Mgi Jnum | J:290472 | Mgi Id | MGI:6435390 |
| Doi | 10.1016/j.bbi.2020.02.015 | Citation | Piras G, et al. (2020) Immuno-moodulin: A new anxiogenic factor produced by Annexin-A1 transgenic autoimmune-prone T cells. Brain Behav Immun |
| abstractText | Patients suffering from autoimmune diseases are more susceptible to mental disorders yet, the existence of specific cellular and molecular mechanisms behind the co-morbidity of these pathologies is far from being fully elucidated. By generating transgenic mice overexpressing Annexin-A1 exclusively in T cells to study its impact in models of autoimmune diseases, we made the unpredicted observation of an increased level of anxiety. Gene microarray of Annexin-A1 CD4(+) T cells identified a novel anxiogenic factor, a small protein of approximately 21 kDa encoded by the gene 2610019F03Rik which we named Immuno-moodulin. Neutralizing antibodies against Immuno-moodulin reverted the behavioral phenotype of Annexin-A1 transgenic mice and lowered the basal levels of anxiety in wild type mice; moreover, we also found that patients suffering from obsessive compulsive disorders show high levels of Imood in their peripheral mononuclear cells. We thus identify this protein as a novel peripheral determinant that modulates anxiety behavior. Therapies targeting Immuno-moodulin may lead to a new type of treatment for mental disorders through regulation of the functions of the immune system, rather than directly acting on the nervous system. |
