Models of Immune Aging

Abstract Biochemical changes, impaired immune responses to new antigens, and inflammation-based disorders are commonly found in aged individuals. Thus, many studies have addressed the immune system of healthy elderly, including centenarians, since a well-preserved immune system appears to be a major factor of longevity. Longitudinal studies in humans are complicated, as most immune changes associated with aging develop slowly. Human models of accelerated immune aging in clinical conditions allow exploring the age-related changes in the human immune system and the mechanisms of accelerated aging in chronic infections and autoimmunity. Even if they do not perfectly mimic immune function and immune aging in humans, mice are the predominant model in aging research, including short-lived mice defective in specific genes relevant to aging or that develop spontaneously autoimmune diseases. In vitro T cell cloning has allowed to provide cellular and molecular mechanisms to in vivo immunosenescence. The application of the omics to the field of human and mouse aging and longevity provides big data that may be successfully explored by Systems Biology approach.