Research

T cell changes
with aging

Immune aging

As we age, our immune system undergoes significant changes, resulting in a decline in immune function and impacting its ability to respond effectively to threats like infections and cancer.

This process, known as immunosenescence, also promotes a state of chronic inflammation, leading to increased susceptibility to various diseases associated with aging, such as cardiovascular conditions and neurodegenerative disorders.

T lymphocytes, key components of the immune system, undergo notable alterations with age that affect their functionality. Understanding these changes is essential for developing strategies to enhance our resistance to infections, cancer, autoimmunity, and reduce vulnerability to age-related diseases in the long term.

Molecular mechanisms by which T cells control inflammaging and senescence

Molecular mechanism

To improve the quality of life, there is an urgent need to identify the molecular mechanisms common to the various diseases of aging and to find new therapeutic approaches to combat them simultaneously.

While the importance of chronic inflammation in the development of age-associated diseases has been widely accepted, a causal contribution of immune cell dysfunction to inflammaging, systemic senescence, and aging has been established by our lab and more recently by others.

We are now working to understand the molecular mechanism by which age-associated changes in T cells contribute to tissue senescence and systemic aging. We are exploring two different scenarios:

  • That old T cells acquire pathogenic and auto-aggressive function.
  • Alternatively, old T cells lose their protective function. Given that T cells are major controllers of gut homeostasis and microbiota, modulation of the T cell–microbiota crosstalk is required to preserve gut integrity and to prevent inflammaging, ultimately delaying a plethora of age-related pathologies

Interventions to
increase resilience
to aging

Interventions

Age-driven deterioration of the adaptive immune system is responsible for high susceptibility to autoimmune diseases, infections and cancer, as well as a decrease in the effectiveness of vaccinations.

 Our research is aim at providing convincing evidence of the potential role of reinvigorating T cells or depleting pathogenic age-associated T cells, not only to prevent immunosenescence, but also to delay inflammaging, systemic senescence and the onset of age-related disorders.

Thus, we are uncovering new approaches ranging from nutritional interventions, developing drugs, cell therapy that would guide strategies for improving immune responses, promoting resilience to age-related diseases, and healthy aging.