Bioelectronic Medicine, the Vagus, and the Inflammatory Reflex with Kevin Tracey

Kevin Tracey is a professor of bioelectronic medicine and president of the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research in New York. His research discoveries identified a previously unknown neural pathway by which the brain senses and responds to inflammation in peripheral organs. During inflammation macrophages release a cytokine called TNF which triggers a neural reflex mediated by the vagus nerve. This “inflammatory reflex” response suppresses the tissue inflammation. This discovery led to the testing of vagus nerve stimulation in several disorders including rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease, and stroke. Tracey describes his trail of discoveries and talks about the promising future of bioelectronic medicine.

Dr. Tracey’s webpage: https://feinstein.northwell.edu/institutes-researchers/our-researchers/kevin-j-tracey-md

TEDMED talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJH9KsMKi5M

Review articles

http://perspectivesinmedicine.cshlp.org/content/10/3/a034140.long

file:///Users/markmattson/Downloads/nn.4477%20(1).pdf