Chronic stress can inflame the gut — now scientists know why

• NEWS
• 25 May 2023

Signals originating in the brain make their way to gut nerve cells, leading to a release of inflammatory chemicals.

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• Saima Sidik

1. Saima Sidik

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Psychological stress is known to worsen the gut inflammation caused by certain bowel diseases. Now scientists have found out why. New research1 outlines a sweeping narrative that begins with chemical cues produced in the brain and ends with immune cells in the gut — a sequence that spells trouble for people with these conditions.

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Nature 618, 221-222 (2023)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-023-01700-y

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