Stress is often a hidden health hazard that can literally make you sick. A Michigan State University researcher is providing new insight into how certain types of stress interact with immune cells and can regulate how these cells respond to allergens ultimately causing physical symptoms and disease. The federally funded study showed how a stress receptor known as corticotropin-releasing factor or CRF1 can send signals to certain immune cells called mast cells and control how they defend the body. Mast cells become highly activated in response to stressful situations the body may be experiencing said Adam Moeser an associate professor