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. 2021 Feb 19;14(5):978–990. doi: 10.1038/s41385-020-00370-7

Fig. 3. Pulmonary neuroendocrine cells (PNECs) secrete neuropeptides that have both neurological and immunological effects.

Fig. 3

PNECs secrete bombesin/bombesin-related peptide, serotonin, GABA and CGRP, which in a neurological context can cause bronchoconstriction, neuroinhibition and vasodilation, respectively. These same effector molecules also stimulate immune responses. For example, bombesin recruits mast cells, serotonin influences cytokine secretion and leukocyte activity, GABA causes goblet cell hyperplasia, and CGRP elicits mucus secretion and ILC2 activation. CGRP calcitonin gene-related peptide, GABA gamma-aminobutyric acid, ILC2 innate lymphoid cell 2.