Overview
- In mice, removing lung nociceptor neurons by drugs or genetics dysregulated inflammatory cells and worsened tissue damage.
- Loss of these neurons led alveolar macrophages to produce the neuropeptide VIP, which promoted harmful Siglec-F+ neutrophil–mediated inflammation.
- Blocking VIP or deleting its gene in macrophages reduced lung injury, while adding VIP exacerbated scarring in the models.
- The findings, led by the University of Calgary’s Cumming School of Medicine, were published in Immunity (DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2025.05.002).
- Researchers say neuromodulation approaches such as electrical nerve stimulation could be explored, though evidence remains preclinical and further studies are funded by CIHR.