How "Nature Aging" activates the "fountain of youth" of the immune system of the elderly

The findings identify why older adults are more susceptible to infectious diseases

A new study led by researchers at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) has identified one reason why older adults are more susceptible to infectious diseases than younger adults, an important societal issue highlighted by the recent COVID-19 pandemic

The study's findings also pave the way for new potential therapeutic targets that can regenerate the immune systems of older adults and reduce their risk of contracting diseases

"Through this study, we gain a new understanding of why older adults are more susceptible to infectious diseases, which will allow us to identify potential new treatments

The article, titled "Age-associated impairment of T cell immunity is linked to sex-dimorphic elevation of N-glycan branching", was published in the journal Nature Aging

T-cell immunity declines with age, thereby increasing the severity and mortality of infectious diseases

In this study, the researchers found that T cells from women were significantly reduced in T cells from women due to ageing and increased signaling of the T cell cytokine interleukin-7, an important sugar metabolite (N-acetylglucosamine).

"Our study shows that reversing the elevation of branched glycans restores T-cell function in humans and mice and reduces the severity of Salmonella infection in aged female mice," Demetriou said

"This suggests several potential new therapeutic targets to activate old T cells, such as altered branched glycans or age-induced elevations in serum N-acetylglucosamine and IL-7 signaling," Mkhikian added

Age-related immune dysfunction, known as immunosenescence, can lead to increased morbidity and mortality from infectious and neoplastic diseases in adults 65 years of age and older

Previous studies examined transcriptomic changes in a subset of highly purified aging T cells