Neuro-immunomodulation during intestinal development and in vivo homeostasis

Organ function and homeostasis require interaction between the nervous system and the immune system. Evidence suggests that intestinal neurons and intestinal immune cells share a common regulatory mechanism and that they can coordinate their response to development challenges and environmental invasion. These findings reveal a systemic interaction between the physiology and the openness of the new viewpoint of therapeutic design, with under estimation of the neuro-immunological commonality. Here we highlight the results of studies addressing the importance of neuroimmune cell units (NICUs) in intestinal development, homeostasis and disease.