Regulation and modulation of the innate immune response via neuronal and endocrine signals in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster

神经元和内分泌递质调节包括免疫系统在内的多种生理功能。应激已被确定为影响这些高度复杂的相互关系的核心因素，从长远来看，这可能有助于人类自身免疫性或慢性炎症性疾病的发病机制和加重。在这里，我建议使用果蝇作为体内模型来研究先天免疫系统的神经元和内分泌控制的影响。最初，将确定影响先天免疫反应的应激因素。随后，神经元和内分泌递质将被破译，将神经元和内分泌信号转移到先天免疫系统的细胞。此外，将映射产生相应介质的细胞。神经内分泌免疫串扰的更详细的分析将补充在免疫细胞的分子和细胞水平的机制分析。由于人类和苍蝇的免疫系统部分使用相同的发射器和防御机制，简单组织的苍蝇代表了解决这些问题的理想模式生物。

Neuronal and endocrine transmitters modulate a variety of physiological functions including the immune system. Stress has been identified as a central factor influencing these highly complex interrelationships, which in long run may contribute to the pathogenesis and aggravation of autoimmune or chronic inflammatory diseases in humans. Here, I propose to use the fruit fly as an in-vivo model to investigate the impact of neuronal and endocrine control of the innate immune system. Initially, stress factors will be identified that affect the innate immune response. Subsequently, neuronal and endocrine transmitters will be deciphered that transfer neuronal and endocrine signals to cells of the innate immune system. Furthermore, the cells producing the respective mediators will be mapped. A more detailed analysis of the neuroendocrine-immune crosstalk will be supplemented by mechanistic analysis at the molecular and cellular level of immune cells. Since the immune system of both, human and fly, uses in parts the same transmitters and defence mechanisms, the simply organised fly represents an ideal model organism to address these questions.