Neuroimmunology is the study of the interactions between the nervous system and the immune system. It explores how immune responses affect the brain and spinal cord, and how the nervous system influences immunity. This field bridges neuroscience and immunology to understand diseases where both systems play a role. The brain was once thought to be “immune privileged,” meaning protected from immune activity. However, research shows the nervous system and immune system constantly communicate through signaling molecules like cytokines and immune cells that can enter the brain under certain conditions.

Neuroimmunology is crucial for understanding neurological disorders with immune components, such as multiple sclerosis (MS), where the immune system attacks the protective myelin sheath around nerve fibers, leading to nerve damage. Other conditions studied include neuroinflammatory diseases, neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s, and infections affecting the nervous system.