Age is the single greatest risk factor driving mortality after encounter with SARS-CoV-2. A new study shows that the composition of nasal epithelial cells varies across ages, facilitating SARS-CoV-2 growth and spread in older people.
References
Brodin, P. Nat. Med. 27, 28–33 (2021).
Woodall, M. N. J. et al. Nat. Microbiol. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41564-024-01658-1 (2024).
Blanco-Melo, D. et al. Cell 181, 1036–1045.e1039 (2020).
Ziegler, C. G. K. et al. Cell 184, 4713–4733.e4722 (2021).
Sposito, B. et al. Cell 184, 4953–4968.e4916 (2021).
Genoyer, E. & Lopez, C. B. Annu. Rev. Virol. 6, 547–566 (2019).
Munger, J. S. et al. Cell 96, 319–328 (1999).
Major, J. et al. Science 369, 712–717 (2020).
Broggi, A. et al. Science 369, 706–712 (2020).
Bastard, P. et al. Sci. Immunol. 6, eabl4340 (2021).
Bastard, P. et al. Science 370, eabd4585 (2020).
Carabelli, A. M. et al. Nat. Rev. Microbiol. 21, 162–177 (2023).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Competing interests
The author declares no competing interests.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Zanoni, I. Aged nasal epithelium is more prone to severe COVID-19. Nat Immunol 25, 722–724 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41590-024-01824-x
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41590-024-01824-x
- Springer Nature America, Inc.