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By Olivia Allison
The Lawrenceville School, NJ
Researchers led by Shaui Ma of the Chinese Academy of Sciences looked into the connection between the aging of cells and the immune system. In studies with male mice, the researchers found that in certain tissues that are prone to aging like the lungs, heart, and hippocampus, the tissue structure became disordered and there was an accumulation of cells that produce immunoglobulin, also known as antibodies, and there were abnormally high levels of Immunoglobulin G–IgG. They confirmed these findings in female mice and humans as well. These findings suggest that elevated levels of IgG could be an intrinsic marker of cellular aging.
The researchers also looked at macrophages, a type of immune cell that kills microorganisms and removes dead cells, and microglia, immune cells of the central nervous system. They found that in macrophages and microglia the presence of IgG led to accelerated cell aging.
These studies suggest that IgG is a central player in the biology of aging and that focusing on IgG could lead to ways to slow or stop the aging process. They tested their hypothesis in vitro and found fewer effects of aging. The authors suggest further studies in vivo. If these studies in vivo support their hypothesis it could lead to developing treatments that slow or stop aging in certain tissues. However, studies in mice have not always translated to similar results in humans.
Studies use mice in experiments because they are a model organism. A model organism is a non-human species that is studied to gain insight on a particular biological process. Mice are often used because almost all of their genes share functions with genes in humans, they have a short life span so we can observe diseases progress over a lifetime and changes to the genes over multiple generations easily, and they are relatively cheap to take care of. In some cases though, applying the results of an experiment run on mice to humans does not work because mice and humans are clearly very different from each other.
Their work is part of a huge effort to prevent or slow aging in humans. That includes drugs like resveratrol, quercetin supplements, and calorie restrictive diets. Thus far, nothing has succeeded in extending human lifespans or preventing aging, but this new discovery of immunoglobulin's connection to aging presents a promising new direction in preventing some diseases of aging.
An abundance of immunoglobulin in one area of the body can lead to inflammation. Inflammation is a symptom of many diseases associated with old age, such as cardiovascular disease or arthritis. The research also found that IgG results in accelerated aging in microglia and macrophages, which are linked to the brain. If the IgG levels can be reduced, then maybe these cells would not age as fast and there would be a decline in brain diseases associated with aging like different kinds of dementia and Alzheimer's disease.
After more research and testing, this new study will hopefully prove to be revolutionary in our studies of aging and age-related diseases and lead to new treatments. And, who knows, it might lead to us to discovering the secret of immortality.
----Works Cited
Shuai Ma et al, Spatial transcriptomic landscape unveils immunoglobin-associated senescence as a hallmark of aging,
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