Cited by 975Telomeres, Telomerase, and SenescenceGenetics, Aging, and Longevity in Model OrganismsT-cell and B-cell Immunology

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 41 of the 43 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

An aged immune system drives senescence and ageing of solid organs

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Abstract

Ageing of the immune system, or immunosenescence, contributes to the morbidity and mortality of the elderly 1,2. To define the contribution of immune system ageing to organism ageing, here we selectively deleted Ercc1, which encodes a crucial DNA repair protein 3,4, in mouse haematopoietic cells to increase the burden of endogenous DNA damage and thereby senescence 5-7 in the immune system only. We show that Vav-iCre+/-;Ercc1-/fl mice were healthy into adulthood, then displayed premature onset of immunosenescence characterized by attrition and senescence of specific immune cell populations and impaired immune function, similar to changes that occur during ageing in wild-type mice 8-10. Notably, non-lymphoid organs also showed increased senescence and damage, which suggests that senescent, aged immune cells can promote systemic ageing. The transplantation of splenocytes from Vav-iCre+/-;Ercc1-/fl or aged wild-type mice into young mice induced senescence in trans, whereas the transplantation of young immune cells attenuated senescence. The treatment of Vav-iCre+/-;Ercc1-/fl mice with rapamycin reduced markers of senescence in immune cells and improved immune function 11,12. These data demonstrate that an aged, senescent immune system has a causal role in driving systemic ageing and therefore represents a key therapeutic target to extend healthy ageing.

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Metadata

Authors
Yousefzadeh, M. J., Flores, R. R., Zhu, Y., Schmiechen, Z. C., Brooks, R. W., Trussoni, C. E., Cui, Y., Angelini, L., Lee, K.-A., McGowan, S. J., Burrack, A. L., Wang, D., Dong, Q., Lu, A., Sano, T., O’Kelly, R. D., McGuckian, C. A., Kato, J. I., Bank, M. P., Wade, E. A., Pillai, S. P. S., Klug, J., Ladiges, W. C., Burd, C. E., Lewis, S. E., LaRusso, N. F., Vo, N. V., Wang, Y., Kelley, E. E., Huard, J., Stromnes, I. M., Robbins, P. D., & Niedernhofer, L. J.
Affiliations
  • University of Minnesota (US)
  • Mayo Clinic (US)
  • Scripps Research Institute (US)
  • University of California, Riverside (US)
  • University of Pittsburgh (US)
  • The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (US)
  • Fred Hutch Cancer Center (US)
  • University of Washington (US)
  • The Ohio State University (US)
  • West Virginia University (US)
Corresponding author
  • Robbins, Paul D.
  • Niedernhofer, Laura J.
Venue
Nature
Published
2021-05-12
Volume
594
Issue
7861
Pages
100-105
ISSN
  • 0028-0836 (ISSN-L)
  • 1476-4687
OpenAlex
W3161778279
Cited by
972
References
43
Citations by year
2026: 176 · 2025: 219 · 2024: 219 · 2023: 186 · 2022: 131 · 2021: 41
FWCI
91.03
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Nature (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institute on Aging (P01AG043376, R01AG059711, R01AG067193, R01AG044376, R56AG059676, R56AG058543, T32AG029796, U19AG056278, P01AG062413, R01AG063543)
  • National Cancer Institute (R01CA249393, R01CA255039)
  • National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (P30DK084567)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cell Biology › Telomeres, Telomerase, and Senescence
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Aging › Genetics, Aging, and Longevity in Model Organisms
  • Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Immunology › T-cell and B-cell Immunology
Keywords
immunosenescence, cellular senescence, ERCC1, DNA repair, endogenous DNA damage, hematopoietic cells, rapamycin, senolytics, healthy aging
MeSH terms
Immunosenescence, Healthy Aging, Aging, Animals, DNA Damage, DNA Repair, DNA-Binding Proteins, Endonucleases, Female, Homeostasis, Immune System, Male, Organ Specificity, Rejuvenation, Spleen, Sirolimus, Mice

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