Immune system responds to unattractive facial features confirmed by researchers - Immunity system responds to visibly unwell persons, research confirms
In a groundbreaking 2025 study, researchers from the Universities of Geneva and Lausanne discovered that the human immune system can be activated by virtual threats of infection[1][3][4]. The study, published in the prestigious journal "Nature Neuroscience", involved 248 healthy volunteers, with an average age of 27 and a roughly equal number of men and women[2].
The research used virtual reality (VR) headsets to simulate situations where sick-looking avatars would enter the participants' peripersonal space, the immediate area surrounding the body. The avatars displayed signs of illness, such as coughing and skin rashes, or neutral/fearful expressions[3].
When sick avatars entered the peripersonal space, the brain's multisensory-motor and salience networks responded more strongly, signalling an anticipatory threat[3]. This neural anticipation was linked to activation changes in innate lymphoid cells and engagement of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, suggesting a communication between the brain and immune system preparing the body for possible infection[3][4].
Behavioral measures showed participants had stronger reactions, including to tactile stimuli, when infectious avatars approached, indicating heightened threat detection and immune priming[4]. The immune cells were not mobilized when the face in the VR headset had a neutral or fearful expression, suggesting a non-specific threat[5].
Interestingly, the concentration of corresponding immune cells was the same when the potential threat was perceived under the VR headset and when the participants were vaccinated[6]. This suggests that the immune system was tricked into believing there was an infection threat by the VR headset, as shown in a control study with a group that was vaccinated against the seasonal flu[6].
The study also found that areas of the brain known to influence the immune system became active when the supposedly infectious avatar approached the participants' peripersonal space[7]. In crowded places like cinemas and theaters, our body's defense system is alerted when an infection source is nearby[8].
The concept of the peripersonal space, which refers to the immediate space around a person, was first studied in the 1960s[9]. In real-world scenarios, measurable increases in stress levels occur when the comfortable distance is breached, for example, in crowded places like trains or buses[10].
The participants in the study were tested to ensure they did not have unusual anxiety or sensitivity to disgust[11]. The findings of this study open new perspectives on how anticipatory neural mechanisms prepare the immune system proactively to protect the body. The immune system, it seems, is not only reactive but also proactive in defending against potential threats, even if those threats are virtual and visually simulated.
[1] - Reference for the 2025 study [2] - Information about the participants [3] - Details about the brain's response [4] - Information about behavioral measures [5] - Information about the immune cells [6] - Comparison between VR and vaccination [7] - Brain activity findings [8] - Crowded places and the immune system [9] - History of the peripersonal space concept [10] - Real-world implications of the peripersonal space [11] - Testing for unusual anxiety or sensitivity to disgust
- This groundbreaking study has implications for community policy, as it shows the immune system can be activated by virtual threats, suggesting the potential for future VR applications in health-and-wellness, mental-health, and fitness-and-exercise programs.
- The research highlights the role of the brain in activating immune responses, specifically in relation to science, as the study reveals a connection between the brain's multisensory-motor and salience networks and the immune system.
- The findings of the study have broader implications for medical-conditions and neurological-disorders, as it sheds light on how the immune system reacts to simulated threats, which could help in understanding and developing treatments for various medical conditions and neurological disorders.
