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Mind–body therapies and control of inflammatory biology: A descriptive review
Open accessAbstract
The use of mind-body therapies, including Tai Chi, Qigong, yoga, and meditation, has grown steadily in recent years. These approaches have been shown to be effective in reducing symptoms and improving quality of life, and research has begun to examine the impact of these therapies on biological processes, including inflammation. A review of 26 randomized controlled trials was conducted to describe the effects of mind-body therapies (MBTs) on circulating, cellular, and genomic markers of inflammation. This qualitative evaluation showed mixed effects of MBTs on circulating inflammatory markers, including CRP and IL-6, and on measures of stimulated cytokine production. More consistent findings were seen for genomic markers, with trials showing decreased expression of inflammation-related genes and reduced signaling through the proinflammatory transcription factor NF-κB. Potential mechanisms for these effects are discussed, including alterations in neuroendocrine, neural, and psychological and behavioral processes.
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“Other forms of behavioral interventions that have been used for the treatment of fear-and anxiety-based disorder, such as community-based educational intervention, exercise, yoga, and mediation, have also been associated with decreases in inflammation (Bower and Irwin, 2016;Pace et al, 2009;Villablanca et al, 2015).”
From Inflammation in Fear- and Anxiety-Based Disorders: PTSD, GAD, and Beyond (2017) · cites this paper as Bower and Irwin, 2016
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“Seven different randomized controls of mind-body therapies (ie, Tai chi, meditation, Yoga) have all been shown to reverse the pattern of leukocyte transcriptional alterations including activation of genes regulated by the proinflammatory NF-κB/Rel family (Bower and Irwin, 2016).”
From Sleep health: Reciprocal regulation of sleep and innate immunity (2017) · cites this paper as Bower and Irwin, 2016
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“Alterations in inflammatory processes are thought to play a role in many of the symptoms and conditions that are responsive to MBTs, including fatigue, depression, and pain (Irwin and Cole, 2011).”
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InfluentialOptimizing Care: Integrative Oncology in Myeloproliferative Neoplasm
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“The notion of helping patients with chronic insomnia through empowerment is innovative and promising (Bower and Irwin 2016).”
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“Data from breast cancer populations have suggested that mind-body based complementary therapies (eg, mindfulness, meditation, yoga, Tai Chi, Qigong, guided imagery, and affirmations) have the potential to influence the immune profile of breast cancer patients and survivors, along with decreasing stress levels by helpi…”
RetractedPsiconeuroinmunología: hacia la transdisciplinariedad en la salud
Sánchez‐Teruel, D., & Bello, M. A. R. (2018) · Educación Médica · doi:10.1016/j.edumed.2017.12.009 · Cited by 3
Integrative Medizin: evidenzbasierte Webseiten und Aktuelles
Kalder, M., & Dobos, G. (2018) · Der Gynäkologe · doi:10.1007/s00129-018-4325-2 · Cited by 1
Yoga for Chronic Depressive Symptoms in Pregnancy: A Commentary and Call to Action
Kinser, P. (2015) · Journal of Yoga & Physical Therapy · doi:10.4172/2157-7595.1000197 · Cited by 1
“, inflammatory measures, epigenetic measures, among others), using established theoretical frameworks regarding yoga for depression50 and yoga for selfregulation [71-74].”
BackgroundPsycho-physiological mechanism of energy transfer in the human body: myth or reality?
Gajewski, M., Różycka-Tran, J., & Le, H. (2019) · Health Psychology Report · doi:10.5114/hpr.2019.88624 · Cited by 1
Lehane, D., Cunliffe, V. T., Mitchell, C. A., & Burton, C. D. (2017) · British Journal of General Practice · doi:10.3399/bjgp17x693977 · Cited by 3
Tannoury, A., Garg, N. H., Khan, Z. H., Milligan, J. D., Parekh, P. D., & Barrientos, R. (2026) · Brain Behavior and Immunity Integrative · doi:10.1016/j.bbii.2026.100194
Guo, Z., Dong, L., Lin, J., Duan, Y., Liu, W., Jiang, W., Liu, C., Jia, S., Song, Y., Ding, F., et al. (2026) · European Journal of Sport Science · doi:10.1002/ejsc.70272
“Through its deep‐ breathing and meditative components, MBE effectively attenuates salivary cortisol levels and mitigates neuroinflammatory responses (Bower and Irwin 2016; Pascoe et al. 2017).”
Wu, Y., & 吴茵 (2026) · iScience · doi:10.1016/j.isci.2026.117561
“37 Chronic stress and elevated cortisol are known to accelerate hippocampal atrophy in MCI.”
Rubio-Casillas, A., Redwan, E., Genova, S. N., & Uversky, V. (2026) · Applied microbiology · doi:10.3390/applmicrobiol6100117
Korecki, J. R., Winston, D., Ko, E., Yoo, S., Khalili, J., & Bower, J. E. (2026) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0357906
“Assays will focus on pro-inflammatory cytokines and markers of inflammation that are responsive to mind-body interventions [99,100].”
Self-citationZhang, Y.-L., Zhang, J.-H., Deng, S.-W., Zhao, L.-T., & Yu, X.-X. (2026) · Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine · doi:10.3389/fcvm.2026.1895271
“In addition, TCE (including Tai Chi and Baduanjin) can downregulate CRP and IL-6 concentrations, providing an alternative non-pharmacological modality against myocardial inflammatory injury (36) (Figure 2).”
Exercise patterns and atherosclerosis: a network meta-analysis based on randomized controlled trials
Xu, C., Yan, S., Liu, Y.-X., Zhang, H., Li, F.-Y., Zhang, Y., Liu, Y.-Y., Yuan, Y.-L., Zhang, S.-J., Zhong, X., et al. (2026) · Frontiers in Physiology · doi:10.3389/fphys.2026.1911464
Hong, F., Wang, L., Wan, Z., Kim, D., & Seo, J. W. (2026) · Frontiers in Medicine · doi:10.3389/fmed.2026.1889076
“Breathing regulation, mental focus, and sustained low-intensity movement in MBE may plausibly influence autonomic activity, perceived stress, or hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis regulation (76–78).”
Muñoz‐Vergara, D., Saper, R. B., Khalsa, S. B. S., Rist, P. M., Yeh, G. Y., Irwin, M. R., Kilgore, K., Schreiber, K. L., & Wayne, P. M. (2026) · Global Advances in Integrative Medicine and Health · doi:10.1177/27536130261477068
“16 17-19 Given that maladaptive inflammatory responses to surgical injury may contribute to more severe and prolonged postoperative pain, yoga practice may mitigate the development of PPSP by modulating circulating levels of inflammatory mediators.”
Self-citationHan, M., Huang, H., Yuan, X., Fan, P., & Li, M. (2026) · International Journal of Molecular Sciences · doi:10.3390/ijms27156628
“These interventions have been associated with inflammatory and stress-related signaling [36], and NRF2/BDNF-mediated ferroptosis regulation has been proposed as a framework for exercise in Parkinson’s disease [35].”
Xiao, Y., Zhong, J., Zhang, K.-B., & Yang, X. (2026) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0352173
“Mind-body exercise may be acceptable for some patients because it combines low-impact movement with breathing, attentional focus, and relaxation [18,42].”
Physiological Impacts of Yoga on Aging
Bhattacharya, A. (2026) · INDIAN JOURNAL OF MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH · doi:10.70798/ijomr/03010003
“…intervention for successful aging and reducing healthcare burden among the elderly population (Panjwani et al., 2021; Madhivanan et al., 2021; Batrakoulis, 2022; Bower & Irwin, 2016) The investigation of published meta-analyses reveals overarching conclusions about yoga’s impact on human aging.”
Turner, M., Singh, M. D., & Evans, I. D. (2026) · Metabolic Brain Disease · doi:10.1007/s11011-026-01892-y
“…the primary concerns involving increased levels of anxiety along with perpetual alertness (Smitka et al. 2013), evidence-informed psychotherapy interventions (Bower and Irwin, 2016) combined with anxiolytic drug interventions are the prioritised treatment options (Lock and Fitz - patrick 2009).”
Feng, H., Zhou, P., Xie, Z., Wang, Y., & Wang, X. (2026) · Applied Psychology Health and Well-Being · doi:10.1111/aphw.70187
Solmaz, E., & Çelik, A. (2026) · Journal of Nursing Scholarship · doi:10.1111/jnu.70116
Sharma, D. (2026) · Journal of The Indian Academy of Geriatrics · doi:10.4103/jiag.jiag_73_26
神经心理应激通过血脑屏障重塑中枢神经系统肿瘤微环境促进复发的机制与干预策略
Zhang, H.-Y., Zhu, J.-Y., Lu, Z.-T., Qin, N., Duan, Y.-L., & Xie, J.-F. (2026) · Zhong nan da xue xue bao. Yi xue ban = Journal of Central South University. Medical sciences · doi:10.11817/j.issn.1672-7347.2026.250281
Effect of Yoga on Immunity in Healthcare Professionals during the COVID-19 Pandemic – A Pilot Study
Hasan, S., Agrawal, M., Rohilla, J., Jhanwar, S., Singh, A., Bisht, M., Mirza, A., & Vardhan, G. (2026) · International Journal of Yoga · doi:10.4103/ijoy.ijoy_229_25
“[36,37] Given the heightened inflammatory responses observed in healthcare workers due to chronic stress exposure during COVID-19, these results highlight yoga’s potential as an adjunctive strategy for mitigating stress-related immune dysregulation.”
Woolverton, G. A., Zhang, Y., Yu, X., Ruedas‐Gracia, N., Liu, C. H., Chae, D. H., Cham, H., El‐Sheikh, M., & Yip, T. (2026) · Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities · doi:10.1007/s40615-026-03023-w
Obeagu, E. (2026) · Precision Medical Sciences · doi:10.1002/prm2.70042
Notari, S., Faienza, F., Tranfo, G., Caccuri, A., Ricci, G., & Gambardella, G. (2026) · Antioxidants · doi:10.3390/antiox15060741
“These results could be a further indication of the interconnection between lifestyle and biological responses [25–28].”
Ashok, A., Kumar, D., & Gopalakrishnan, M. (2026) · Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies · doi:10.1016/j.jbmt.2026.06.032
Mao, R., Liu, Y., & Li, Y. (2026) · Journal of Thoracic Disease · doi:10.21037/jtd-2026-0757
“Simultaneously, it may alleviate airway inflammation by downregulating the expression of inflammation-related genes, like those in the nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κ B) signaling pathway (71).”
Birling, Y., Bhuyan, D., Feng, F., Jia, M., Liu, J., Zhang, H., Rahimi, M., Yu, W.-Y., Carlson, L. E., Boge, H. B., et al. (2026) · Current Oncology Reports · doi:10.1007/s11912-026-01790-7
“MBTs decrease the expression of inflammation-related genes, leading to a reduction in systemic inflammation, which is known to be a mediator of depression and anxiety symptoms [ 43].”
Nie, L., Liu, M., Chen, Z., Luan, C., Liu, D., Chen, B., Wang, J., & Lei, C. (2026) · Frontiers in Oncology · doi:10.3389/fonc.2026.1741755
Neuroepigenetic Effects of Non-Pharmacological Pain Treatments: A Narrative Review
Hossaini, D., Ataye, A. W., Haidary, M., Durrani, N. A., & Barya, M. B. (2026) · Spinghar Journal of Biomedical Science · doi:10.64444/sjbs.30
“…interventions are thought to influence pain through mechanisms such as modulation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis, enhancement of neurotrophic factors like BDNF, regulation of immune and inflammatory pathways, and alterations in circadian and met-Hossaini abolic processes [15-17].”
Castillo-Torres, L. F., Velázquez-Moreno, S., Tovar-Leyva, C. E., Reyes-Martínez, C., Martínez-Martínez, R., Rivera-Luque, C., & Vitales-Noyola, M. (2026) · Cureus · doi:10.7759/cureus.107488
“…recent clinical and experimental studies have reported that yoga and meditation may lead to favorable changes in immune biomarkers, including increased proportions of naïve and memory T cells, enhanced natural killer (NK) cell activity, and modulation of inflammatory cytokine profiles [15].”
Pan, S.-J., & Wang, G. (2026) · Surgical Endoscopy · doi:10.1007/s00464-026-12717-5
“Our findings highlight psychological resilience as a clinically relevant and modifiable construct associated with post-operative outcomes and oncologic prognosis [16].”
Sa'idah, I., Naqiyah, N., Pratiwi, T. I., Nursalim, M., Setiawati, D., & Winingsih, E. (2026) · Explore · doi:10.1016/j.explore.2026.103406
Xin, C.-Z., & Xiong, W. (2026) · Journal of Integrative and Complementary Medicine · doi:10.1177/27683605251415493
The Role of Yoga in HIV Care: A Narrative Review
Muralidharan, S., Das, P., Prashanth, S., Basanayak, B., Soni, P., Khaiju, S., & Bangera, D. (2026) · Journal of Pharmacy and Bioallied Sciences · doi:10.4103/jpbs.jpbs_1287_25
“[14] Yoga enhances oxygen efficiency, cardiovascular fitness, and neuromuscular coordination [15] improving strength, flexibility, and endurance.”
Metadata
- Authors
- Bower, J. E., & Irwin, M. R.
- Affiliations
- University of California, Los Angeles (US)
- Corresponding author
- Bower, Julienne E.
- Venue
- Brain, Behavior, and Immunity
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2016-01
- Volume
- 51
- Pages
- 1-11
- ISSN
- 0889-1591 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC4679419
- OpenAlex
- W758061270
- Cited by
- 388
- References
- 58
- Citations by year
- 2026: 50 · 2025: 33 · 2024: 31 · 2023: 54 · 2022: 47 · 2021: 47 · 2020: 38 · 2019: 30 · 2018: 21 · 2017: 23 · 2016: 13
- FWCI
- 2.80
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Brain Behavior and Immunity (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- eScholarship (California Digital Library) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health (UL1TR000124)
- National Institute on Aging (R01AG026364, R01AG034588, P30AG028748)
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (R01HL079955, R01HL095799)
- National Institute on Drug Abuse (R01DA032922)
- National Cancer Institute (R01CA160245, R01CA160427, R01CA119159)
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Mindfulness and Compassion Interventions
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Complementary and alternative medicine › Biofield Effects and Biophysics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
- Keywords
- mind-body interventions, inflammation, Tai Chi, qigong, yoga, meditation, C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, cytokine production, NF-κB signaling, inflammatory gene expression, neuroendocrine mechanisms, quality of life
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, C-Reactive Protein, Female, Humans, Inflammation, Male, Middle Aged, Quality of Life, Yoga, Gene Expression, Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic, Cytokines, Treatment Outcome, Inflammation Mediators, Meditation, Tai Ji, Mind-Body Therapies, Young Adult
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