In a new experiment, scientists used virtual reality to show that the brain can sense virtual infection to trigger the body’s immune system, before the first microbe ever makes contact.

The immune system detects and responds to the presence of a pathogen to eliminate or counteract its toxic effects. However, the delay in this process might weaken its efficacy. A recent report in Nature Neuroscience shows how the neural system primes the immune response in anticipation of a potential infectious threat, even without actual pathogen.