The Nature sub-journal breaks with conventional wisdom and discovers new mechanisms for immune system longevity

An international team led by scientists at University College London has discovered a new mechanism that can slow or possibly stop natural aging of immune cells – one of the nine hallmarks of

The researchers, published in the journal Nature Cell Biology, say the in vitro (cellular) findings and validation in mice were "unexpected," believing that harnessing this mechanism could extend the lifespan of the immune system, allow people to live healthier and longer, and would also have clinical utility for

Dr Alessio Lanna, emeritus professor and first author of the Faculty of Medicine at University College London, explained the study, saying: "Immune cells are always on high alert, ready to fight pathogens

"In this study, we sought to find out the mechanisms that give immune system cells (i.

Why the immune system ages

Each chromosome present in all cells contains a protective cap called telomeres (a specific DNA sequence that is repeated thousands of times

In T cells (a type of white blood cell or immune cell), as in most cells, telomeres become shorter and shorter (telomere wear)

As the immune system no longer works effectively, this can lead to chronic infections, cancer, and death

Results of the study

In this in vitro study, the researchers initiated the immune response of T lymphocytes to microbes (foreign infections

The elongation of some telomeres by telomere transfer reactions is about

Professor Lanna added: "Telomere transfer reactions between immune cells add evidence to the Nobel Prize discovery of telomerase to show that cells are able to regulate chromosome length

Take advantage of new mechanisms

After discovering a new "anti-aging" mechanism, the same team determined that extracellular telomere vesicles could be purified from the bloodstream and, when added to T cells, had anti-aging activity

The researchers found (in human cells and mice), purified extracellular vesicle preparations can be used alone or in combination with vaccines, and this extended sustained immune protection can, in principle, avoid the need for

Alternatively, the "telomere donor" transfer response can be directly promoted

Professor Lanna concluded: "Telomere biology has been studied for over 40 years

*’The Hallmarks of Aging’ is a landmark paper by Kroemer et al published in Cell in 2013.

essay

Intercellular telomere transfer rescues T cells from senescence and promotes long-term immunological memory