Researchers discover the immune system’s ‘fountain of youth’ – but it has a cost

The researchers discovered the “youth fountain” for cells – But that has a big cost.

Some people over the age of 60 had immune systems that seem much younger in wear and tear, Researchers from the Mayo Clinic announced Thursday. The immune system is what protects us from getting sick and promotes healing. With age, the ability of the immune system to protect the body from infection and disease can decline. Young immune systems are constantly exposed to new bacteria and viruses, and previous research has shown that Infantile immune systems beat those of adults to fight the invaders.

Researchers now say that some have immune systems that do not correspond to their age.

“We have observed that these patients have a very young immune system despite their 60th and 70 statement. “But the price they pay is autoimmunity.”

Autoimmunity is what is happening when the immune system mistakenly attacks tissues and healthy organs. There are more than 100 known autoimmune diseases, according to the Cleveland clinic,, Including the lupusSclerosis in plates, psoriasis, celiac disease and Hashimoto thyroidite. Women run a higher risk than men, thanks to genetic and hormonal differences, according to Stanford medicine.

Doctors discovered this anomaly in more than 100 older patients who went to the Minnesota clinic to receive Treatment of rare autoimmune disease Known as giant cellular arteritis.

Giant cell arteritis is an inflammation of the mucosa of your arteries which can affect the arteries of your head, explained the clinic. Not treated, it can lead to blindness, an aortic aneurysm and, less often, a stroke. It frequently causes headaches, jaw pain and vision problems. Which causes the disorder remains unknown.

By studying the sick tissues of these patients, the researchers found that they had cells specialized in their immune system called “T -type T cell”. The cells behave like young stem cells, which are essential to repair and maintain a healthy immune system. But, in this case, they spread autoimmune disease.

In the future, scientists hope to know more about this link and what they have observed for patients.

“Contrary to what one might think, there are advantages to having an immune system that ages in tandem with the body,” said Dr. Jörg Goronzy, researcher at the Mayo clinic on aging. “We have to consider the price to pay immune youth. This price can be an autoimmune disease.”

The results were published in the journal Aging of nature.