A novel antibody therapy makes the immune system of old mice appear younger, allowing the animals to better fend off infections and reduce inflammation
. As we age, a larger proportion of these stem cells become predisposed to producing some immune cells over others, says, or proteins that recognise and attack certain cells, to target these biased stem cells. They then tested the treatment in six mice between 18 and 24 months old, which is roughly equal to an age of 56 to 70 years in humans.
A week after receiving an antibody injection, the mice had about 38 per cent fewer of these aberrant stem cells, compared with six rodents of the same age that didn’t receive the treatment. They also had significantly greater amounts of two types of white blood cells crucial for recognising and combatting pathogens, as well as lower levels of inflammation.
“You can think of it as kind of turning back the clock,” says Ross. “We’re making the proportion of these cells more similar to a younger adult mouse.”To test if these changes resulted in a stronger immune system, the researchers vaccinated 17 older mice against a mouse virus. Nine of these mice had received the antibody treatment eight weeks earlier. The researchers then infected the rodents with the virus.
Together, these findings indicate the antibody treatment rejuvenates the immune system of old mice. Since humans, like rodents, also see aberrant blood stem cells increase with age, a similar antibody treatment may reinvigorate our immune systems too, says Ross.at the University of California, San Diego. For one, we need to better understand potential side effects of the treatment.
Still, these findings are a promising breakthrough in our understanding of age-related immune decline and how to mitigate it, says Ross.is the number one risk factor for a broad range of diseases. “By rejuvenating or improving immune function in older people, that could really help with fighting off infections,” says Signer. “You might also have an impact on different types of chronic inflammatory diseases. That’s what’s so exciting here.
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