Full text is available at the source.
Abstract
Aging is associated with significant changes in the immune system that may increase susceptibility to diseases.
- Aging affects all physiological systems, including the immune system, leading to increased vulnerability to infectious diseases.
- Changes in immune cells and molecules of both innate and adaptive immunity may impair communication within the immune system.
- Age-related dysregulation of blood cell production is linked to the replenishment of immune cells throughout life.
- Thymic involution reduces the output of naïve T cells, contributing to differences in T-cell types between younger and older individuals.
- These age-related changes may contribute to low-grade inflammation, referred to as 'inflammaging'.
- Elevated inflammatory immune mediators are implicated in chronic autoimmune and neurodegenerative processes associated with aging.
Simplified