Researchers at Oregon Health and Science University have uncovered information about the body’s immune system that suggests new strategies may be in order for protecting the country’s aging population against disease. The research is published in the current edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science and reported on the OHSU Web site at http://www.ohsu.edu/ohsuedu/newspub/releases/121707immune_aging.cfm.

  

The research focused on an important component of the body’s immune system, a type of white blood cell called “naïve T-cells.”  Once these cells encounter germs, they learn and adapt to become strong defenders of the organism. As such, they play an important role in the vaccination process.

Previous research has shown that a person’s supply of naïve T-cells diminishes over his or her lifetime, meaning that older persons are more susceptible to infections such as the flu.  This new study identified an actual process by which the cells are lost later in life—with these Oregon researchers saying that older adults in the U.S. therefore may be better protected against disease if a means could be found to “jump-start” their production of new naïve T-cells.

Here is a sample from the website…

The research focused on an important component of the body’s immune system, a certain type of white blood cell called naïve T-cells. These cells are called naive because they have no experience of encountering germs. However, once they encounter germs, they learn and adapt to become strong defenders of the organism.  The cells play an important role in the vaccination process because vaccines, which contain either weakened or dead viruses, teach naïve T-cells how to recognize germs and prepare the body for fighting infectious diseases at a later date. Previous research shows that an individual’s supply of naïve T-cells diminishes over their lifetime, meaning that in old age a person is more susceptible to infections such as the flu.

“Our research identified one actual process by which naïve T-cells are lost later in life,” explained   Janko Nikolich-Zugich, Ph.D., a senior scientist at the OHSU Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute and the Oregon National Primate Research Center and a professor of molecular microbiology and immunology in the OHSU School of Medicine.

“Throughout our lives, naïve T-cells divide very slowly in our bodies. This helps maintain sufficient numbers of naïve T-cells while we are young. As we age, naïve T-cells are lost and the remaining ones speed up their division to make up for the losses in their numbers. Interestingly, after a certain point, this actually causes the numbers of naïve T-cells to dwindle over time. Our data show that once the number of naïve T-cells drops below a critical point, the rapidly dividing naïve cells are very short lived. Based on this finding and other information, research suggests that some of the aging Americans may be better protected against disease by finding a way to jumpstart production of new naïve T-cells instead of through revaccination.

”Nikolich-Zugich and his colleagues are now working on methods to encourage the body to restart production of naïve T-cells. “Even a slight boost in the number of these important T-cells could protect an aging person against disease for several years,” explained Nikolich-Zugich.
    
The research was funded by U.S. Public Health Service Awards, the National Institute on Aging, a component of the National Institutes of Health; and Oregon National Primate Research Center funds.

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