About this Research Topic
From a genetic point of view, plasticity of the immune response is individually determined by the interplay between the expression of allelic variants of our genome and environmental factors, a broad term that includes anything a human being can encounter since their life in the uterus. Environmental factors are rapidly changing nowadays due to climate change, human activities, modifications in diet, and lifestyle. In extreme conditions, such as hypobaric hypoxia, microgravity, extreme cold or hot weather, human physiology adapts in order to cope, thus the question arises of whether also the immune response would be modified. Thus far, not much data has been collected on this issue.
This Research topic is aimed to collect information on the modification of the immune response under extreme environmental conditions, and to project them into everyday life. We already know that genetic differences in populations living at high altitudes do exist, that metabolic changes happen when people go over a certain altitude, that antigens and allergens are different in mountain environment; changes in muscle and bone marrow architecture due to microgravity have been described in astronauts; very hot or very cold weather modifies the environment in terms of increased risk of emerging infectious disease. The question remains open of whether these changes might affect the immune response.
The scope of this Research Topic is to collect information on the modifications of the immune response under extreme condition as a paradigm of what could potentially occur given the undergoing environmental changes. This Research Topic accepts Original Research, Review and Mini-Review, Hypothesis & Theory, Perspective, Conceptual Analysis, Brief Research Report, Data Report, General Commentary, and Opinion articles. We welcome manuscripts focusing on, but not limited to, the following sub-topics:
- Adapting the immune response: innate and inflammatory response to high altitude, autoimmunity, and allergy and asthma
- Adapting the immune response to microgravity: bone marrow modifications, and controlled environments
- Extreme weather conditions: antigens and allergens and the risk of emerging infectious disease
This Research topic is aimed to collect information on the modification of the immune response under extreme environmental conditions, and to project them into everyday life. We already know that genetic differences in populations living at high altitudes do exist, that metabolic changes happen when people go over a certain altitude, that antigens and allergens are different in mountain environment; changes in muscle and bone marrow architecture due to microgravity have been described in astronauts; very hot or very cold weather modifies the environment in terms of increased risk of emerging infectious disease. The question remains open of whether these changes might affect the immune response.
The scope of this Research Topic is to collect information on the modifications of the immune response under extreme condition as a paradigm of what could potentially occur given the undergoing environmental changes. This Research Topic accepts Original Research, Review and Mini-Review, Hypothesis & Theory, Perspective, Conceptual Analysis, Brief Research Report, Data Report, General Commentary, and Opinion articles. We welcome manuscripts focusing on, but not limited to, the following sub-topics:
- Adapting the immune response: innate and inflammatory response to high altitude, autoimmunity, and allergy and asthma
- Adapting the immune response to microgravity: bone marrow modifications, and controlled environments
- Extreme weather conditions: antigens and allergens and the risk of emerging infectious disease
Keywords: Immune regulation, immunoregulatory genetic pathways, high altitude, microgravity, climate change
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
