Scientists have found the first evidence of an anatomical connection between the nervous system and the immune system.
Nerve cell endings in the skin and white blood cells of the immune system are in intimate contact, and chemicals secreted by the nerves can shut down immune system cells nearby.
Dermatologists said that the finding, by Dr. Richard D. Granstein of the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and Dr. George F. Murphy of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, could help explain anecdotal reports that diseases like psoriasis are exacerbated by stress. They say it might also help explain the mechanism of skin cancer. "This may be the connection between the nervous system and the immune system that we've all been looking for," said Dr. Craig Elmets, a dermatologist and cancer specialist at Case Western Reserve University. Finding Called Extraordinary
"I think it's just extraordinary," said Dr. Paul R. Bergstressor, the chairman of the department of dermatology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas.