Smile--It's in your blood!

Abstract

Emotions and feelings are the bricks of our social life and yet we often forget that they have a significant impact on our physical wellbeing. Indeed, a growing number of studies have shown that both an imbalanced or improved emotional state can significantly influence the way our immune system responds. In this commentary, we have summarized the most recent studies on the effects of different types of emotional states on the immune system and we have also explored the effects of mood modulator approaches on the immune response. We hope this commentary will prompt scientists and clinicians to think about the therapeutic value and potential of emotions and feelings in immune-related diseases. At the same time, we think that this commentary will shed some light on the scientific truth behind the very famous expression "It's in my blood" when we talk about feelings and personality.