Fundamental role of brain-organ interaction in behavior-driven holistic homeostasis

Behaviors are cross-species conservative responses to the environment which shapes health, producing strong relationships between environmental factors, disease risk, and survival. Particularly, innate behaviors are instinctual and are essential for the survival and propagation of the organism which play a fundamental role in systemic homeostasis. Homeostasis is the state of stable internal conditions of living systems achieved by dynamic processes such as regulation of circadian rhythms, energy metabolism, and electrolyte balance. Nowadays, neuroscientists are providing increasing evidence to support that interactions between the brain and peripheral organs are key to environmental adaptation with behaviors as output forms. Here, we review recent studies on communication between the brain and peripheral organs as evidence for the concept of allostasis, and provide insights into the critical role of brain-organ crosstalk through neuro-immune-endocrine interactions in maintaining systemic homeostasis. Brain-organ interactions underlie innate behavior-driven systemic homeostasis, which may also reveal the logic of "emergence" in life sciences and facilitate the revolutionary applications of Traditional Chinese Medicine in precision medicine.