Editorial: Immunometabolic alterations linked to affective disorders and other mental illnesses

Abstract

The relationship between the immune response and mental health has shifted from being an emerging hypothesis to becoming a central focus in contemporary psychiatric research. The immune system, whose primary function is to defend the organism and maintain homeostasis, responds adaptively to infections or tissue damage. However, when this response becomes dysregulated, it can turn pathological and contribute to the development of a range of diseases. Today, we know that environmental factors that may lead to chronic stress, traumatic events, or prolonged adversity can activate inflammatory pathways even in the absence of external agents. This phenomenon has opened a field of research: the role of immunometabolic alterations in mental disorders. Over the past decades, depression has become the mental disorder that probably best illustrates this relationship. Clinical, epidemiological, and experimental studies have demonstrated associations between systemic and brain inflammation and depressive symptoms, and specific immunological profiles have been described according to diverse symptom profiles. These findings have fueled an intensive search for biomarkers that may improve diagnostic stratification, risk prediction, and the development of personalized interventions. However, many questions remain unanswered. This Research Topic gathers evidence from four original articles that, from different methodological perspectives, deepen our understanding of this research area within the framework of translational psychiatry.