Nerve growth factor: a neurotrophin with activity on cells of the immune system

Numerous studies published in the last two decades provide evidence that nerve growth factor (NGF), a polypeptide originally discovered because of its neurotrophic activity, acts on a variety of cells of the immune system, including mast cells, eosinophils, and B and T lymphocytes. NGF has been shown to increase during inflammatory responses, autoimmune disorders, parasitic infections, and allergic diseases. Moreover, stress, which is characterized also by activation of a variety of immune cells, causes a significant increase in basal plasma NGF levels. Recently published studies reveal that hematopoietic progenitor cells seem to be able to produce and/or respond to NGF. We report these data and discuss the hypothesis of the possible implication of NGF on the functional activities of immune cells.