Abstract
Accumulated cellular defects over time and a decline in immune function are hallmarks of aging. Since the principal role of the immune system is to protect the host from infections and illness, defects in immune functions increase the susceptibility to and severity of infection or cancer, decreasing quality of life. Compared to the extensive studies of age-associated changes to the adaptive immune system, alterations to the innate immune system with advanced age are not well documented. Aging affects every aspect of innate immunity, including alterations in cellular composition, cell number, phenotype and function, and these alterations may significantly contribute to impairments in the adaptive immune system. Understanding the underlying mechanism of immune aging will allow the development of preventive or therapeutic strategies to restore age-associated immune defects that are beneficial for the elderly and that may dramatically enhance their qualities of life. Recent advances in potential therapeutic options for immunity restoration in the aging innate immune system are discussed.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 124-132 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine |
| Volume | 8 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| Publication status | Published - 2011 Mar |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Medicine (miscellaneous)
- Biomedical Engineering
