Research indicates that regulatory T cells (Tregs) might stabilize mood and prevent depression, with their depletion linked to increased anxiety and cognitive issues in
Tregs in Neurological Disorders
Additionally, mice bred to model Alzheimer’s disease showed cognitive impairments when their Tregs were depleted. The authors posit that Treg depletion causes proliferation of peripheral immune cells, some of which can cross the blood-brain barrier into the brain and cause inflammatory responses in the hippocampal formation. This transient activation of innate immunity in the brain can cause anxiety, depression, or Alzheimer’s disease-type cognitive deterioration, according to the authors.
Reference: “Transient anxiety-and depression-like behaviors are linked to the depletion of Foxp3-expressing cells via inflammasome in the brain” by Eun-Jeong Yang, Md Al Rahim, Elizabeth Griggs, Ruth Iban-Arias and Giulio Maria Pasinetti, 22 August 2023, PNAS Nexus.
DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgad251