Cholecystokinin and the immune system

Worthington, John (2025) Cholecystokinin and the immune system. In: Cholecystokinin : From Gallbladder to Cognition and Beyond. Molecular Mediators in Health and Disease: How Cells Communicate . Academic Press, Amsterdam, pp. 523-555. ISBN 9780443237201

Abstract

In tandem with our deeper understanding of the role of CCK within metabolism, many studies have demonstrated interactions of CCK with immunity. Initial observations of CCK hyperplasia and hypersecretion in disease have been superseded by detailed investigations of mechanisms of the emerging immunoendocrine axis. Some mechanisms involve modulation of classical feeding pathways and vagal stimulation, while others demonstrate that CCK can aid immune protection via altering innate pathways, such as the intestinal epithelial mucosal barrier. Indeed, CCK itself can be considered a “cytokine,” as an array of both innate and adaptive immune cells possess CCK receptors; hence, immune function can be modulated, paving the way for potential repurposing of CCK modulating therapeutics as immune modulators in disease.