Sympathetic nervous system

Cell biology

Desensitization (medicine)

Neuroscience

Biology

Endocrinology

Receptor

Signal transduction

Adrenergic receptor

Immunology

Genetics

G protein-coupled receptor

Bioinformatics

Blood pressure

Immune system

Medicine

Pathogenesis

Frontiers in Pharmacology

Disorder of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) is closely related to the pathogenesis of various autoimmune diseases (ADs). Catecholamine triggered beta2-adrenergic receptor (β2-AR) signaling is important in creating a bidirectional response in the progression of ADs due to factors including diverse expression patterns, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), biased signals, and desensitization of β2-AR, as well as different subtypes of Gα binding to β2-AR. In this review, we summarize the actions of β2-AR signaling in regulating the functions of immunocytes and in the pathogenesis of ADs, while the application of β2-AR agonists or antagonists in treating major types of ADs is also discussed. We suggest that restoring the immune balance via a soft regulation of the expression or activation of β2-AR is one of the promising therapeutic strategies for systematic ADs.

Bidirectional Role of β2-Adrenergic Receptor in Autoimmune Diseases