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The immune system in the aging human

  • Singapore Immunology Network
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Abstract

With the improvement of medical care and hygienic conditions, there has been a tremendous increment in human lifespan. However, many of the elderly (>65 years) display chronic illnesses, and a majority requires frequent and longer hospitalization. The robustness of the immune system to eliminate or control infections is often eroded with advancing age. Nevertheless, some elderly individuals do cope better than others. The origin of these inter-individual differences may come from genetic, lifestyle conditions (nutrition, socio-economic parameters), as well as the type, number and recurrence of pathogens encountered during life. The theory we are supporting is that chronic infections, through life, will induce profound changes in the immune system probably due to unbalanced inflammatory profiles. Persistent viruses such a cytomegalovirus are not eliminated and are a driven force to immune exhaustion. Because of their age, elderly individuals may have seen more of these chronic stimulators and have experienced more reactivation episodes ultimately leading to shrinkage of their repertoire and overall immune robustness. This review integrates updates on immunity with advancing age and its impact on associated clinical conditions.

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Acknowledgments

This work is supported by the Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN), Biopolis, A*STAR, Singapore. We thank Nurhidaya Binte Shadan, Ivy Low, and Seri Mustafa for their support at the SIgN Flow Cytometry Facility. We apologize for the contribution of other authors that could not be cited here.

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  1. Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 8A Biomedical Grove, #03 Immunos, Biopolis, Singapore, 138648, Singapore

    Paulina Dominika Rymkiewicz, Yi Xiong Heng, Anusha Vasudev & Anis Larbi

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  1. Paulina Dominika Rymkiewicz
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  2. Yi Xiong Heng
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  3. Anusha Vasudev
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  4. Anis Larbi
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Correspondence to Anis Larbi.

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Rymkiewicz, P.D., Heng, Y.X., Vasudev, A. et al. The immune system in the aging human. Immunol Res 53, 235–250 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12026-012-8289-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12026-012-8289-3

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