Role of Neurotransmitter and Neuromodulators in Viral Infections

Dear Colleagues,

In light of bidirectional communication between the nervous and immune systems, neuromodulators exert potent control over innate and adaptive immune pathways and vice versa. Indeed, different neurotransmitters and neuromodulators such as norepinephrine, dopamine, acetylcholine, glutamate, vasoactive intestinal peptide, and substance P, as well as aggregation-prone proteins such as alpha-synuclein and tau, do interact with the immune system, leading to either pro- or anti-inflammatory effects, which may affect the outcome of a variety of inflammatory diseases. In turn, local or systemic inflammation affects CNS integrity, thus altering the production and subsequent release of neurotransmitters and neuromodulators in the periphery.  These effects have strong implications for immunity, and most critically in the control of infections at barrier sites, including the lung and gut mucosal epithelium, among others.

While neurotransmitters and neuromodulators are generally nerve-derived, recent studies have also demonstrated their production and relevance in peripheral sites and immune cells. In line with this, either beneficial or detrimental effects of neurotransmitters and neuromodulators have been reported in the context of viral infections. A role of neurotransmitters and CNS mediators has recently emerged in the context of SARS-CoV-2 infection, which, beyond mere neurological manifestations associated with COVID-19, may be related to systemic effects involving a plethora of diseased organs and immune cell subpopulations.

This Special Issue welcomes original studies or review articles focused on how viral infections, including that produced by SARS-CoV-2, are influenced by neurotransmitters/neuromodulators and vice versa. The aim of this Special Issue is to shed some light onto how neuromodulators, neurotransmitters, related receptors, and intracellular pathways mediate the signaling crosstalk between immune cells and diseased cells/organs in the context of viral infections.

Dr. Mara Biasin
Dr. Fiona Limanaqi
Guest Editors

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• neurotransmitters
• viral infection
• sArS-cov-2
• innate immunity
• adaptive immunity