2. Academic Validation
  3. Vip+ vagal neurons control allergen-induced responses

Vip+ vagal neurons control allergen-induced responses

  • Cell Rep. 2026 May 26;45(5):117287. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2026.117287.
Ziai Zhu 1,  Yujuan Su 1,  Xin Sun 2
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
  • 2 Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].
PMID: 42024502 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2026.117287
Abstract

Vagal sensory neurons innervating the lung control respiratory physiology and immunity, yet the subtypes mediating responses to specific inputs, i.e., allergen, remain undefined. Here, we identify Vip+ and Tac1+ neurons as two vagal subsets with non-overlapping expression and divergent innervation profiles. Selective ablation of Vip+, but not Tac1+, neurons leads to reduced airway hyperreactivity and type 2 cytokine expression, whereas chemogenetic activation of Vip+ neurons leads to elevated responses. Bulk RNA Sequencing of allergen-treated vagal ganglia reveals upregulation of Ngfr, the highly enriched receptor in Vip+ vagal neurons. NGFR signaling is required for Vip+-mediated airway hyperreactivity. Furthermore, Vip+ neurons project to the nucleus of the solitary tract (nTS) in the brainstem, and unilateral genetic ablation reduces FOS+ activation in the ipsilateral nTS. These findings specify a vagal population that bridges peripheral allergen sensing and central output, revealing a neuroimmune mechanism along the body-brain axis that contributes to asthma.

Keywords

CP: Neuroscience; airway; allergen; asthma; body-brain crosstalk; lung; vagal sensory neurons.

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