近日，荷兰阿姆斯特丹大学Helmut W. Kessels及其课题组提出了社会地位通过前额叶皮层突触强度影响T细胞反应。相关论文于2026年3月23日发表在《细胞研究》杂志上。

在这项研究中，课题组人员观察到，在雄性小鼠的社会群体中，排名第二的雄性小鼠在接种疫苗后平均表现出更好的T细胞反应。在排名第二的小鼠中，更大的T细胞反应依赖于大脑中的突触通讯能力。控制社会等级地位的大脑回路开始出现，背内侧前额叶皮层（dmPFC）是一个核心角色。小组发现选择性地增加dmPFC突触的强度或增加dmPFC神经元的活性足以提高抗原特异性T细胞在疫苗接种反应中的百分比。这些发现揭示了dmPFC和外周免疫系统之间的因果联系，丰富了他们对社会不平等引发的健康问题起源的理解。

研究人员表示，社会地位通过影响免疫系统对感染和疾病的反应能力来影响健康。然而，解释社会地位如何影响免疫力个体差异的神经机制尚不清楚。

附：英文原文

Title: Social status impacts T-cell responses through synapse strength in the prefrontal cortex

Author: Xiong, Hui, Amado-Ruiz, Daniel, Lodder, Tessa R., Toebes, Mireille, Schumacher, Ton N., Hu, Hailan, Kessels, Helmut W.

Issue&Volume: 2026-03-23

Abstract: Social status affects health by influencing the capacity of the immune system to respond to infection and disease. However, the neuronal mechanisms that explain how social status causes individual differences in immunity are unknown. In this study, we observed that among social groups of four male mice, those ranked second in the hierarchy displayed, on average, superior T-cell responses upon vaccination. The greater T-cell responses in second-ranked mice were dependent on synaptic communication ability in the brain. The brain circuits that control position in the social hierarchy are beginning to emerge, with the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) as a central player. We found that selectively increasing the strength of dmPFC synapses or increasing the activity of dmPFC neurons was sufficient to boost antigen-specific T-cell percentages in response to vaccination. These findings reveal a causal link between the dmPFC and the peripheral immune system, enriching our understanding of the origin of health problems caused by social inequality.

DOI: 10.1038/s41422-026-01235-7

Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41422-026-01235-7