Possibility of Temporarily Reversing Aging in the Immune System

[HysteryDiagnosis]

Apparently telomeres aren't the chief bottle washer after all.


http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110816111921.htm


>>ScienceDaily (Aug. 16, 2011) — Researchers have discovered a new mechanism controlling aging in white blood cells. The research, published in the September issue of the Journal of Immunology, opens up the possibility of temporarily reversing the effects of aging on immunity and could, in the future, allow for the short-term boosting of the immune systems of older people.<<


However when Professor Akbar's team took some blood samples and looked closely at the white blood cells they saw that some were inactive and yet had long telomeres. This told the researchers that there must be another mechanism in the immune system causing cells to become deactivated that was independent of telomere length.

Professor Akbar continues "Finding that these inactive cells had long telomeres was really exciting as it meant that they might not be permanently deactivated. It was like a football manager finding out that some star players who everyone thought had retired for good could be coaxed back to play in one last important game."

When the researchers blocked this newly identified pathway in the lab they found that the white blood cells appeared to be reactivated. Medicines which block this pathway are already being developed and tested for use in other treatments so the next step in this research is to explore further whether white blood cells could be reactivated in older people, and what benefits this could bring.

[xchrom]

1. Unrec

[HysteryDiagnosis]

2. On ignore.

[HuckleB]

3. Why don't you do the right thing and put yourself on ignore?

[laconicsax]

4. IT'S A TRAP!!!

Either way, this has no bearing on the fact that when the telomeres get too short, DNA is lost, leading to problems.