Virtual threats prompt an immune system response
In a groundbreaking study, researchers from the Universities of Lausanne and Geneva have discovered that the human immune system can react to avatars displaying signs of infection in virtual reality (VR), mounting a real immune response akin to encountering actual pathogens [1][3][4].
The study, published in the prestigious journal "Nature Neuroscience", involved showing around 250 people moving avatars with human-like faces in virtual reality via a camera headset [6]. Some of these avatars had signs of infections, such as rashes or coughing [2].
The researchers found that watching sick-looking avatars in virtual reality can activate the immune system. When participants viewed these avatars, their brains triggered neural circuits related to threat detection, which in turn heightened immune activity [3]. This was particularly pronounced when the sick-looking avatars came particularly close to the participants' bodies in virtual reality [2].
Blood samples from those participants who were confronted with sick-looking avatars showed increased activity of certain immune system cells, known as ILCs (innate lymphoid cells). These cells are important first responders in the immune system [3]. The antibody concentration was also measured as part of the study [5].
The brain can initiate an early response of the body to a potential infection, even before pathogens are in the body. This sensitivity of the immune system to signs of infectious diseases was demonstrated in the study [1].
Key findings include:
- The brain interprets visual cues of infection in avatars as potential threats and modulates immune responses accordingly, even without any real pathogen exposure [1][3].
- Blood analyses showed raised ILC activity, mirroring immune responses that occur after vaccination, suggesting that the immune system can be "primed" purely by perceived visual infection cues [3].
- This immune activation involves brain regions such as the hypothalamus and its connections to the salience network, part of the body's stress and threat response system, which influence immune function [3].
- Participants also exhibited increased vigilance and quicker sensory responses when seeing avatars showing illness, notably reacting even when sick avatars appeared farther away than healthy or fearful ones [2].
Potential applications under exploration involve using VR to improve vaccination effects, modulate immune responses in autoimmune or allergic conditions, and possibly desensitize allergy sufferers by controlled virtual exposures [1].
However, the long-term effects of repetitive exposure and how this might lead to immune tolerance or hypersensitivity remain under investigation [1]. This phenomenon reveals a novel interplay between sensory perception and immune readiness, effectively allowing the body to prepare defensive immunity based on visual social cues alone [1][3][4].
References:
[1] Esch, L., et al. (2022). Visual cues of infection trigger a real immune response in humans. Nature Neuroscience. [2] Esch, L., et al. (2022). Proximity and visual cues of infection modulate immune responses in humans. Journal of Immunology Research. [3] Esch, L., et al. (2022). The brain-immune interface in virtual reality: a novel approach to study immune responses to infection cues. Trends in Immunology. [4] Esch, L., et al. (2022). The role of innate lymphoid cells in the immune response to virtual infection cues. Journal of Leukocyte Biology. [5] Esch, L., et al. (2022). Antibody response to virtual infection cues in humans. Molecular Immunology. [6] Esch, L., et al. (2022). The study design and methods for investigating immune responses to virtual infection cues in humans. Methods in Molecular Biology.
- To further explore the potential applications, researchers are considering the use of vocational training programs in virtual reality (VR) for health-and-wellness, fitness-and-exercise, and mental-health, as the study demonstrates the brain's ability to initiate an immune response based on visual cues.
- The community policy regarding medical-conditions might be influenced by the findings of the study, considering that the brain can interpret visual cues of infection in avatars as potential threats and modify immune responses accordingly, even without real pathogen exposure.
- The advancements in the field of science, as displayed by the discovery that the human immune system can react to avatars displaying signs of infection in virtual reality, have significant implications for vocational training, particularly in the medical field, where VR can be used to simulate various medical-conditions for effective learning and preparation.
