Tag: Immune System

Researchers publishing in Aging Cell have discovered how older organisms' susceptibility to pneumonia is related to inflammatory factors. Short-lived infection fighters Polymorphonuclear leukocytes, more commonly known as neutrophils, are part of the first line of defense against lung infections. Illnesses cause these immune cells to be recruited from the bone marrow in a process called...

In Aging Cell, researchers have described why older natural killer (NK) cells lose their ability to eliminate harmful cells and a potential treatment for this decline. Judgment and ability At the cellular level, there is no due process. Natural killer (NK) cells judge other cells' guilt or innocence by their surface proteins. They ruthlessly exterminate...

A new study proposes a novel approach to fighting immune system decline caused by thymic involution: making the liver produce proteins that support T cell development and function [1]. Bringing back the Ts Immunosenescence, the gradual deterioration of the immune system, is a central aspect of aging. Research has tied it to increased cancer incidence,...

Scientists have discovered that a cytotoxic subtype of CD4 T cells, which is enriched in old people, helps control cellular senescence. This hints at a new type of anti-senescence strategy but also suggests that an immune system can be “overly youthful.” When generals become fighters CD4 T cells usually behave as “generals”, directing immune attacks...

Scientists have proposed a hypothesis that immune aging might be necessary to shield people from autoimmune effects, as the repertoire of autoantigens expands with age [1]. A double-edged sword? The decline of the immune system is a major driver of aging, making us more susceptible to infections and cancer. Autoimmunity, on the other hand, is...

The longevity field hasn’t been very good at naming things, but one notable exception is “inflammaging”: the low-grade chronic inflammation that correlates with aging. Recognition has been growing that inflammation, the ubiquitous reaction of the immune system to various stressors, is a major driver of many age-related diseases and possibly one of the limiting factors...