Immune cell betrayal explains why we become more susceptible to colds as we age

In a new study, they found that the fat tissues of old mice lost immune cell group 2 innate lymphocytes (ILC2), which are cells that restore body temperature in a cold environment

"Things that are good for you when you are young may be bad for you as you get older," said Vishwa Deep Dixit, who is the Waldemar von Zeidewitz Professor of Comparative Medicine and Immunobiology.

The findings are published in the September 1 of the Cell Metabolism journal

Dixit and his former colleague, Emily Goldberg, now an assistant professor at the University of California, San Francisco, are curious why adipose tissue shelters immune system cells, which are usually concentrated in the nasal cavity, lungs, and Skin and other areas frequently exposed to pathogens

When scientists introduced a molecule that promotes the production of ILC2 in aging mice, the immune system cells were restored, but the mice were less tolerant of low temperatures

Dixit said: "The simple assumption is that if we restore what we lost, then we will also return to normal life

But when the researchers removed ILC2 cells from young mice and transplanted them into old mice, they found that the cold tolerance of the old mice was restored

Dixit said: "The role of immune cells is not only to defend against pathogens, but also to help maintain the normal metabolic function of life

Journal Reference :

1. Emily L.