Study Shows How Aging Cripples the Immune System

A study recently published in the journal Cell Reports, conducted by scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI), found how aging cripples the production of new immune cells, decreasing the immune system’s response to vaccines. The research indicates how this puts the elderly at risk of infection and goes on to show how antioxidants in the diet slow this damaging process. The research focused on the thymus, which produces T lymphocytes that must be continuously replenished to respond to new infections. Prior to this study, scientists have been hampered in their efforts to develop specific immune therapies for the elderly by a lack of knowledge of the underlying mechanisms of process. “The thymus begins to atrophy rapidly in very early adulthood, simultaneously losing its function,” said a lead researcher of the study. “This new study shows for the first time a mechanism for the long-suspected connection between normal immune function and antioxidants.” To explore these mechanisms, the research team developed a computational approach for analyzing the activity of genes in two major thymic cell types — stromal cells and lymphoid cells — in mouse tissues, which are similar to human tissues in terms of function and age-related atrophy. The team found that stromal cells were specifically deficient in an antioxidant enzyme called catalase, which resulted in elevated levels of the reactive oxygen by-products of metabolism and, subsequently, accelerated metabolic damage. To read more about this study, click here.