Immunosenescence is both functional/adaptive and dysfunctional/maladaptive
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Immunosenescence is both functional/adaptive and dysfunctional/maladaptive T. Fulop 1,2
&
A. Larbi 3 & K. Hirokawa 4 & A. A. Cohen 5 & J. M. Witkowski 6
Received: 1 June 2020 / Accepted: 24 August 2020 # Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2020
Abstract Alterations in the immune system with aging are considered to underlie many age-related diseases. However, many elderly individuals remain healthy until even a very advanced age. There is also an increase in numbers of centenarians and their apparent fitness. We should therefore change our unilaterally detrimental consideration of age-related immune changes. Recent data taking into consideration the immunobiography concept may allow for meaningful distinctions among various aging trajectories. This implies that the aging immune system has a homeodynamic characteristic balanced between adaptive and maladaptive aspects. The survival and health of an individual depends from the equilibrium of this balance. In this article, we highlight which parts of the aging of the immune system may be considered adaptive in contrast to those that may be maladaptive. Keywords Immunosenescence . Inflammaging . Adaptation . Maladaptation . Trained immunity . Centenarians . Immunosuppressive mechanisms
Introduction Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, there is much interest in the immune system of older individuals, who are at highest risk of severe disease and death [1–5]. It seems to be common knowledge that infections and diseases are increased in the elderly and may be considered associated with the aging process itself [6–9]. In the meantime, there is an unprecedented increase both in life expectancy and in the number of centenarians and semi-supercentenarians (several “blue zones”
where these oldest old individuals are “enriched” compared with the general population exist on earth) [10, 11]. Many changes have been described in the innate and adaptive immune systems with aging [12–20]. These contentions seem to represent completely contradictory trends which may be difficult to reconcile. Interestingly, two decades ago a common denominator of aging and age-related diseases called inflammaging was described by Franceschi et al. [9, 21–23], a concept that was largely based on the previously described age-related immune changes called as immunosenescence
This article is a contribution to the special issue on: Immunosenescence: New Biomedical Perspectives - Guest Editors: Claudio Franceschi, Aurelia Santoro, and Miriam Capri * T. Fulop [email protected] 1
Department of Geriatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Research Center on Aging, University of Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1K 2R1, Canada
2
Research Center on Aging, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Sherbrooke, 3001, 12th Avenue North, Sherbrooke, Quebec J1H 5N4, Canada
3
Biology of Aging Program and Immunomonitoring Platform, Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN), Agency for Science Technology and Research (A*STAR), Immunos Building, Biopolis, Singapore 138648, Singapore
4
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