Duke University Medical Center researchers have discovered genetic links between the nervous system and the immune system in a well-studied worm, and the findings could illuminate new approaches to human therapies.

They found that NPR-1, a worm cell receptor linked to proteins that are similar to mammalian neuropeptide Y, functions to suppress the activity of specific neurons that block immune responses, but when the flawed receptor didn’t work, the neurons were able to block the immune response and the worms became more susceptible to infection by pathogens.

The work opens may lead to understanding how neurons may affect other non-neural processes, such as fat storage and longevity.