Aging and the Immune Response

Miller, Richard A.

doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-627871-2.50015-1

Cited by 12 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 145 publications

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“…Declines in Tand B-lymphocyte numbers, lymphocyte proliferation, and thymic cortical volume have leveled off, immunoglobulin concentrations have reached their peak, and the establishment of a repertoire of memory cells has been completed. Later in adulthood, there are significant declines in functional aspects of immunity associated with senescence, although an in-depth analysis is beyond the scope of this review, particularly given the often contradictory pattern of findings (Goya and Bolognani, 1999;Miller, 1990). Instead, the trade-off between reproductive and maintenance effort is briefly discussed as a potentially interesting area for further research with adults.…”

Section: Adulthoodmentioning

confidence: 99%

Life history theory and the immune system: Steps toward a human ecological immunology

McDade¹

2003

Am. J. Phys. Anthropol.

288

305

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KEY WORDSimmunology; human biology; growth and development; evolutionary theory; infectious disease ABSTRACTWithin anthropology and human biology, there is growing interest in immune function and its importance to the ecology of human health and development. Biomedical research currently dominates our understanding of immunology, and this paper seeks to highlight the potential contribution of a population-based, ecological approach to the study of human immune function. Concepts from life-history theory are applied to highlight the major challenges and demands that are likely to shape immune function in a range of ecological contexts. Immune function is a major component of maintenance effort, and since resources are limited, trade-offs are expected between investment in maintenance and other critical life-history functions involving growth and reproduction. An adaptationist, life-history perspective helps make sense of the unusual developmental trajectory of immune tissues, and emphasizes that this complex system is designed to incorporate information from the surrounding ecology to guide its development. As a result, there is substantial population variation in immune development and function that is not considered by current biomedical approaches. In an attempt to construct a framework for understanding this variation, immune development is considered in relation to the competing life-history demands that define gestation, infancy, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. Each life stage poses a unique set of adaptive challenges, and a series of hypotheses is proposed regarding their implications for immune development and function. Research in human ecological immunology is in its earliest stages, but this is a promising area of exploration, and one in which anthropology is wellpositioned to make important contributions. Yrbk Phys Research on human immune function has proliferated in the past 25 years, leading to fundamental insights into basic physiology, as well as strategies for the prevention and treatment of a wide range of diseases. The complexity of the immune system is daunting, and current biomedical research elaborates this complexity by focusing almost exclusively on cellular-and molecular-level processes. The majority of this research uses animal models, with human research participants drawn primarily from clinical settings. Complementary population-based research in international health has observed consistent, bidirectional associations between undernutrition and infectious morbidity, sparking interest in immunocompetence as a potentially important mediator (Chandra, 1988;Gershwin et al., 2000;Hoffman-Goetz, 1986;Pelletier et al., 1995;Suskind and Tontisirin, 2001).The significance of these contributions should not be overlooked, but something is missing. Human physiological systems are products of natural selection, designed to develop and function in whole organisms that are integral components of surrounding social and physical environments (Oyama, 1985;Williams and Nesse, 1991). The immune s...

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Section: Adulthoodmentioning

confidence: 99%

Life history theory and the immune system: Steps toward a human ecological immunology

McDade¹

2003

Am. J. Phys. Anthropol.

288

305

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“…Aging is associated with a reduced proportion of naïve T cells relative to their memory counterparts (Miller, 1996;Chakravarti & Abraham, 1999). This could result from an increased number of memory cells because of lifelong exposure to foreign antigens and /or a reduced production of naïve cells.…”

Section: Adaptive Immunitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Immunity and aging: the enemy within?

2004

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SummaryFunctional analyses of changes in the immune response indicate that aging is associated with a decline of adaptive immunity whereas innate immunity is ramped up. Gene expression studies also support age-dependent changes in immunity. Studies using a large panel of methodologies and multiple species show that some of the most dramatic transcriptional changes that occur during aging are associated with immunity. This observation leads to two fundamental questions: (1) Why is the immune response altered with age? (2) Is this a consequence of aging or does it contribute to it? The origin of these changes and the mechanistic relationship among them as well as with aging must be identified. In mammals, this task is complicated by the interdependence of the innate and adaptive immune systems. The value of invertebrates as model organisms to help answer these questions is presented. This includes a description of the immune response in invertebrate models and how it compares with vertebrates, focusing on conserved pathways. Finally, these questions are explored in light of recent reports and data from our laboratory. Experimental alterations of longevity indicate that the differential expression of immunity-related genes during aging is linked to the rate of aging. Long-lived nematodes are more resistant to pathogens and blocking the expression of immunerelated genes can prevent lifespan extension. These observations suggest that the immune response has a positive effect on longevity, possibly by increasing fitness. By contrast, it has been reported that activation of the immune system can reduce longevity upon starvation. We also observed that deregulation of the immune response has drastic effects on viability and longevity in Drosophila . These data suggest that the immune response results in a trade-off between beneficial and detrimental effects that might profoundly affect the aging process. Given this, immunity may be an ally early in life, but turns out to be an enemy as we age.

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“…Aging of the immune system is associated with dramatic reductions in immune responsiveness as well as functional dysregulation (Solana et al, 1991;Miller, 1996). The decline of immunity occurs mainly in the T cell-dependent immune functions (Hirokawa et al, 1994;Globerson, 1995;Pawelec, 1995).…”

Section: Hemohim Recovers the Declined Nk Cell Activity In Aged Micementioning

confidence: 99%

“…The majority of the changes are undesirable and often subject the aged to a higher risk of developing diseases. The immune system, in particular, is sensitive to age-related changes (Solana et al, 1991;Miller, 1996).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Restoration of the immune functions in aged mice by supplementation with a new herbal composition, HemoHIM

Park¹,

Jo²,

Jung³

et al. 2007

Phytotherapy Research

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The effect of a new herbal composition, HemoHIM, on immune functions was examined in aged mice, in which various immune responses had been impaired. The composition HemoHIM was prepared by adding the ethanol-insoluble fraction to the total water extract of a mixture of three edible herbs, Angelica Radix, Cnidium Rhizoma and Paeonia Radix. Supplementation to the aged mice with HemoHIM restored the proliferative response and cytokine production of splenocytes with a response to ConA. Also, HemoHIM recovered the NK cell activity which had been impaired in the aged mice. Meanwhile aging is known to reduce the Th1-like function, but not the Th2-like function, resulting in a Th1/Th2 imbalance. HemoHIM restored the Th1/Th2 balance in the aged mice through enhanced IFN-γ γ γ γ γ and IgG2a production, and conversely a reduced IL-4 and IgG1 production. It was found that one factor for the Th1/Th2 imbalance in the aged mice was a lower production of IL-12p70. However, HemoHIM restored the IL-12p70 production in the aged mice. These results suggested that HemoHIM was effective for the restoration of impaired immune functions of the aged mice and therefore could be a good recommendation for immune restoration in elderly humans.

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Aging and the Immune Response

Cited by 12 publications

References 145 publications

Life history theory and the immune system: Steps toward a human ecological immunology

Life history theory and the immune system: Steps toward a human ecological immunology

Immunity and aging: the enemy within?

Restoration of the immune functions in aged mice by supplementation with a new herbal composition, HemoHIM

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