Israeli scientists discover how to reverse immune system aging

Don't be afraid of aging anymore! Yesterday, I blogged here about significant advances in Alzheimer Disease and other neuroinflammatory diseases.

It appears that in the next 10-20 years, we will be able to reverse many of the negative medical aspects of the process of ageing!

"“You accumulate in your body many memory cells. You are exposed all the time to pathogens, and hence you make more and more memory cells. Because these are so long-lived, there is no room left for new B cells.”

What happens when a new pathogen, such as the coronavirus, comes along? There are no young B cells that can recognize it.

That is one of the reasons why older people are more susceptible to severe COVID-19 and many other diseases.

As noted, this happens because of the body’s need for homeostasis, something that Melamed’s lab discovered a decade ago.

BUT THIS year, they took the discovery another step and figured out a mechanism to override the system.

“We found specific hormonal signals produced by the old B cells, the memory cells, that inhibit the bone marrow from producing new B cells,” ... “This is a huge discovery. It is like finding a needle in a haystack.” ...

To validate their theory ... As part of treatment for some medical conditions, such as lupus, lymphoma and multiple sclerosis, patients undergo B cell depletion, meaning a significant amount of memory B cells is removed from their bodies.

Examining older patients who underwent this procedure, the group found that their immune systems rejuvenated, and their bodies could produce new B cells again. ..."

"... In the present work, we uncover an immune-endocrine regulatory circuit that mediates cross-talk between peripheral B-cells and progenitors in the BM [bone marrow], to balance B-lymphopoiesis in both human and mouse aging. We found that tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα), which is highly produced by peripheral B-cells in aging, stimulates the production of insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 1 (IGFBP-1), which binds and sequesters insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) in the circulation, thereby restraining its activity in promoting B-lymphopoiesis in the BM. ..."

Israeli scientists discover how to reverse cell aging - The Jerusalem Post A team of scientists has found why elderly people are more susceptible to COVID-19 and are working to reverse the aging process of the body’s immune system

Peripheral B-cells repress B-cell regeneration in aging through a TNFα/IGFBP-1/IGF1 immune-endocrine axis (no public access)