Analysis of T cells in immunological aging

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K12694
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Applied health science
• Research Institution: National Institute of Infectious Diseases
• Principal Investigator: TACHIKAWA AI 国立感染症研究所, エイズ研究センター, 室長 (10396880)
• Research Collaborator: SATO Hidenori 東京大学, 医科学研究所, 大学院生 ; TACHIKAWA Natsuo 横浜市立市民病院, 感染症科, 科長
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 免疫老化 / 慢性ウイルス感染症 / T細胞

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Biological aging results in functional decline in immune system, accompanied by increase in severity of infectious diseases. It is revealed that most diseases become problematic in aged people are related to immunological disorder. It also become widely known that immunological character in chronic HIV-infected subjects is consistent with that seen in elderly people, called “immunosenescence”. In this study, we characterized T cells in chronic HIV-infected subjects, and the expression of molecular markers related to senescence were significantly higher in early differentiated T cells compared to HIV-uninfected age-matched subjects. We also performed gene expression analysis after antigen stimulation, and genes critical for T cell function were induced excessively compared to HIV-uninfected subjects. These data suggest that T cells, especially in early-differentiated subsets that are normally in quiescent state, are in a state “easy-to-activate” in response to antigen stimulation.

Free Research Field

感染免疫学