Infectious Agents and Immune Responses in Mood Disorders
Summary
Mood disorders such as major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder are increasingly recognised to involve bidirectional interactions between infectious agents and the host immune system. Viral, bacterial and fungal infections can activate innate and adaptive immune pathways, triggering the release of proinflammatory cytokines, altering blood–brain barrier integrity and inducing neuroinflammation. These processes may perturb neurotransmitter systems, disrupt neural plasticity and promote glial cell dysfunction, collectively contributing to changes in mood, cognition and behaviour. Conversely, chronic stress and mood disturbances can dysregulate immune homeostasis, leading to increased susceptibility to infection or reactivation of latent pathogens. Advances in immunopsychiatry have begun to identify peripheral and central biomarkers—such as altered cytokine profiles, microglial activation signatures and specific antibody titres—that may predict risk, guide targeted anti-inflammatory or antiviral interventions and inform personalised treatment strategies. The global burden of mood disorders, coupled with emerging infectious threats, underscores the need for integrated research spanning epidemiology, molecular immunology and clinical neuroscience. A deeper understanding of how pathogens interface with immune signalling in the brain holds promise for novel diagnostics, preventive measures and therapeutic agents that address the immune component of mood dysregulation.
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Infectious Agents and Immune Responses in Mood Disorders publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in infectious agents and immune responses in mood disorders across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Cytokine: A signalling protein released by immune cells that modulates inflammation and immune responses.
Neuroinflammation: Inflammatory processes within the central nervous system, often involving activation of microglia and astrocytes.
Microglia: Resident immune cells of the brain that survey and respond to pathogens or injury.
Astrocyte: Star-shaped glial cell that supports neuronal function, maintains blood–brain barrier integrity and regulates neurotransmitter uptake.
Gut–brain axis: Bidirectional communication network linking intestinal microbes, immune signalling and central nervous system function.
References
- Exploring New Mechanism of Depression from the Effects of Virus on Nerve Cells. Cells (2023).
- Viral infections in etiology of mental disorders: a broad analysis of cytokine profile similarities – a narrative review. Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology (2024).
- Examining the Relationships between the Incidence of Infectious Diseases and Mood Disorders: An Analysis of Data from the Global Burden of Disease Studies, 1990–2019. Diseases (2023).
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