10(Z)-hexadecenoic acid, a fatty acid found in the soil based bacterium Mycobacterium vaccae, interacts with immune cells to inhibit pathways that drive inflammation and increases resilience to stress. Researchers say the findings could bring us one step closer to developing a microbe-based "stress vaccine".
An immunization for stress created from beneficial bacteria could be on the horizon. The vaccine is said to have long lasting anti-inflammatory effects, making people more resilient to the psychological and physical effects of stress.