Project description
Harnessing smell to boost immunity
Both the body’s immune and nervous systems learn from experience, tailoring their reactions to future challenges. Recent evidence reveals that these two systems are connected, and that the immune system, like the brain, can be trained. Pairing certain stimuli, such as smells, with infection or vaccination may reinforce subsequent immune reactions. In this context, the ERC-funded MemoSniff project aims to test whether the use of olfactory cues during an initial infection boosts immunity when the pathogen is encountered again. Bridging integrative neuroscience and immunology, it will chart the neuro-immune circuits that underlie them and test whether activating them can restrict pathogen replication, enhance vaccine potency, and revolutionise the prevention of infectious diseases.
Objective
The nervous and immune systems are the body’s primary sensory interfaces, perceiving and responding to environmental stimuli. Both systems can recall past challenges, enabling them to mount responses that anticipate and adapt to ever-changing situation.
Recent research indicates that the brain can recall past infections, forming a new axis between neurological memory and immune response. A notable example of such interaction is Pavlovian or classical conditioning, where organisms learn the timing and causal relationships between internal and external stimuli, enabling them to prepare responses before significant events even occur. Importantly, pioneering studies have shown that the immune system can also be conditioned. However, it is still unclear whether conditioning can be used to boost
immune response upon pathogen reencounter or during revaccinations. Furthermore, the fundamental neuroimmune mechanisms that promote conditioning remain largely unexplored.
Although Pavlov initially used a bell to condition dogs, other stimuli, e.g. smells, can be even more effective due to their strong connection to memory and emotion. For example, the scent of freshly baked cookies can evoke vivid childhood memories. So, could the application of smell during a viral infection or vaccination trigger a stronger secondary immune response? Therefore, we hypothesize that an olfactory stimulus received during a primary infection or vaccination enhances the immune response after subsequent encounters.
Thus, we propose combining advanced immunological and neuroscience techniques to understand how multiorgan, neuro-immune circuits regulate the immune response after conditioning with odor. Furthermore, we will investigate whether activating these circuits can inhibit pathogen replication, considering the limitations of current antiviral drugs and raising antibiotic resistance, with the goal of revolutionizing infectious disease prevention and boosting the effectiveness of vaccinations.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
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Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
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Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants
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Call for proposal
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(opens in new window) ERC-2025-STG
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51000 Rijeka
Croatia
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