AI Summary
Summary: Chronic stress affects the immune system and the brain, and a specific enzyme found in immune cells can enter the brain under stress. In mice, this enzyme causes withdrawal and avoidance of social contact. Understanding this connection between body and mind could potentially lead to new treatments for depression.
Chronic stress affects the immune system and the brain. Researchers now show that a particular enzyme found in cells of the immune system enters the brain under stress. In mice, it causes them to withdraw and avoid social contact. This newly discovered connection between body and mind in stress-related mental illnesses could lead to new treatments for depression.