Elderly Immunology

  • Matthias Giese
Chapter
First Online:

Abstract

The immune system is one function of the body profoundly affected by aging. The reduced efficacy of vaccines in the elderly (>65 years) is generally attributed to immunosenescence [1–3]. It involves both the host’s capacity to respond to infections and the development of long-term immune memory, especially by vaccination. The decline in age-associated immune function on molecular, cellular, and organismal changes is common to most if not all vertebrates; it is an evolutionary ubiquitous process which runs in only one direction – a way of no return. Most of the parameters affected by immunosenescence appear to be under genetic control (Fig. 5.1).

Keywords

Telomere Length Thymic Atrophy Mucosal Vaccine Chronic Antigen Stimulation sIgA Secretion 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
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Copyright information

© Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2016

Authors and Affiliations

  • Matthias Giese
    • 1
  1. 1.Institute for Molecular VaccinesHeidelbergGermany

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