Publications

Aging reshapes the adaptive immune system from healer to saboteur

Delgado-Pulido S, Yousefzadeh MJ, Mittelbrunn M.

Nat Aging. 2025 Aug;5(8):1393-1403;

  • DOI: 10.1038/s43587-025-00906-1
  • PMID: 40813808 

    The classical role of adaptive immunity as a protector against external threats has expanded to include its functions in cancer surveillance, tissue repair and regeneration, and, more recently, it has emerged as a regulator of the aging process. In this Perspective, we discuss the mechanisms by which the deterioration of adaptive immunity contributes to inflammaging,

    CD4 T cell therapy counteracts inflammaging and senescence by preserving gut barrier integrity

    Gómez de Las Heras MM, Carrasco E, Pérez-Manrique M, Inohara N, Delgado-Pulido S, Fernández-Almeida Á, Gálvez-Castaño MI, Francos-Quijorna I, Simó C, García-Cañas V, Escrig-Larena JI, Aranda JF, Soto-Heredero G, Gabandé-Rodríguez E, Blanco EM, Días-Almeida J, Núñez G, Mittelbrunn M.

    Sci Immunol. 2025 Aug;10(110):eadv0985;

    • PMID: 40749035 
    • DOI: 10.1126/sciimmunol.adv0985

    Healthy aging relies on a symbiotic host-microbiota relationship. The age-associated decline of the immune system can pose a threat to this delicate equilibrium. In this work, we investigated how the functional deterioration of T cells can affect host-microbiota symbiosis and gut barrier integrity and the implications of this deterioration for inflammaging, senescence, and health decline.

    KLRG1 identifies regulatory T cells with mitochondrial alterations that accumulate with aging

    Soto-Heredero G, Gabandé-Rodríguez E, Carrasco E, Escrig-Larena JI, Gómez de Las Heras MM, Delgado-Pulido S, Francos-Quijorna I, Blanco EM, Fernández-Almeida Á, Abia D, Rodríguez MJ, Fernández-Díaz CM, Álvarez-Flores MB, Ramírez de Molina A, Jung S, Del Sol A, Zorita V, Sánchez-Cabo F, Torroja C, Mittelbrunn M.

    Nat Aging. 2025 Apr 30;

    Online ahead of print.

    • PMID: 40307497
    • DOI: 10.1038/s43587-025-00855-9

    Recent studies using single-cell RNA sequencing technology have uncovered several subpopulations of CD4+ T cells that accumulate with aging. These age-associated T cells are emerging as relevant players in the onset of inflammaging and tissue senescence. Here, based on information provided by single-cell RNA sequencing data, we present a flow cytometry panel that allows the identification