▎ WuXi AppTec content team editor
With the increase of age, the body's T cell immunity is damaged and gradually weakened, and one intuitive consequence is that the severity of the disease and the mortality rate of the elderly are significantly increased after suffering from disease infection. In a study published in Nature Aging, a team of researchers from the University of California, Irvine (UCI) identified potential targets that could hopefully return the elderly's immune system to youth.
Haik Mkhikian, lead author and assistant professor in UCI's Department of Pathology, commented: "We may have found the 'fountain of youth' of the immune system. ”
As the commander of the immune system, T cells coordinate the body's immune responses and thus fight infections. In T cells, a key component that changes with age is barchic glycan.
In T cells, BCASDs increase with age. The study found that BCAS content increased more significantly in female mice, influenced by age-related carbohydrate metabolites N-acetylglucosamine and interleukin 7.
▲ Interleukin 7 signaling is elevated, increasing the branching of N-acetyl glucosamine. (Image source: References[1])
Corresponding author Professor Michael Demetriou of the UCI School of Medicine said: "Our study shows that reversing the accumulation of B&RGS allows T cell function in humans and mice to return to a youthful state. In female elderly mice, this change reduced the severity of Salmonella infection. ”
"Through this study, we have gained new insights into why older adults are more vulnerable when they suffer infections, which will help develop potential new therapies." Professor Demetriou added.
Professor Michael Demetriou leads team to reveal how to return the immune system to youth (Credit: UCI/Steve Zylius)
Thus, the study offers multiple potential targets for restoring the viability of senescent T cells, including altering bloatsans, or age-related elevations in serum N-acetylglucloamine or interleukin 7.
In this study, the authors analyzed T cells from mice of different ages and sexes, and the results demonstrated sex-related differences. The findings also remind people that in order to effectively reverse immune dysfunction, we also need to develop new strategies related to sex.
Resources:
[2] New study from UCI reveals how to rejuvenate the immune system of elderly people and reduce their risk of infectious disease. Retrieved Apr. 11, 2022 from https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/949475
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