Nature Immunology: Immune cells produce chemical messengers to prevent heart disease-related inflammation

White blood cells in the immune system are produced in the bone marrow primarily to help fight bacteria and damage, but sometimes they also attack the body—for example, in cardiovascular disease, their inflammatory attacks can damage arteries and the heart

Senior author Professor Matthias Nahrendorf explains that the nervous system plays a role in controlling blood cell production through chemical messengers, or neurotransmitters

Because acetylcholine has protective effects against inflammation and heart disease, the researchers studied this neurotransmitter in the bone marrow

The team found no evidence in the bone marrow of typical nerve fibers known to release acetylcholine

Studying this process may help researchers develop strategies to stop inflammation in cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis

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B lymphocyte-derived acetylcholine limits steady-state and emergency hematopoiesis