It's time for psychoneuroimmunology.
It is intuitively obvious that the mind and the body are joined in ways that are not yet understood. The mission of the PsychoNeuroImmunology Research Society (PNIRS) is to delineate these relationships, to try to understand their connections at the molecular level and to use this knowledge to prevent and relieve human pain and suffering. Members of our Society have already made substantial and important contributions toward accomplishing these goals. For example, regulation of the neuroendocrine system by proinflammatory cytokines and development of the concept of sickness behavior have now become established and well-accepted tenets in psychoneuroimmunology. Although we possess some of the research tools that are needed to accomplish our goals, we need more. We must continue to apply new information that is constantly being generated in the biological sciences, such as what may be found in the recently completed mapping and sequencing of the human genome. There will always be fundamental discoveries that can and should be used to advance the field of psychoneuroimmunology and to help us accomplish our mission. Our research is needed to minimize human afflictions and to learn how patients can better participate in their own health management. That is why the time for psychoneuroimmunology is now.
Laboratory of Immunophysiology, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA. kwkelley@uiuc.edu
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D006801:Humans; D011598:Psychoneuroimmunology / Q000639:trends*; D011603:Psychophysiology; D012955:Societies, Medical / Q000639:trends*