Cited by 99Immune responses and vaccinationsImmunotherapy and Immune ResponsesImmune Response and Inflammation

Overcoming immune dysfunction in the elderly: trained immunity as a novel approach

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Bulut, Ozlem, Kilic, Gizem, Domínguez-Andrés, Jorge, Netea, Mihai G·2020·International Immunology

Abstract

People with advanced age have a higher susceptibility to infections and exhibit increased mortality and morbidity as the ability of the immune system to combat infections decreases with age. While innate immune cells display functional defects such as decreased phagocytosis, chemotaxis and cytokine production, adaptive immune cells exhibit reduced receptor diversity, defective antibody production and a sharp decline in naive cell populations. Successful responses to vaccination in the elderly are critical to prevent common infections such as influenza and pneumonia, but vaccine efficacy decreases in older individuals compared with young adults. Trained immunity is a newly emerging concept that showed that innate immune cells possess non-specific immunological memory established through epigenetic and metabolic reprogramming upon encountering certain pathogenic stimuli. Clinical studies suggest that trained immunity can be utilized to enhance immune responses against infections and improve the efficiency of vaccinations in adults; however, how trained immunity responses are shaped with advanced age is still an open question. In this review, we provide an overview of the age-related changes in the immune system with a focus on innate immunity, discuss current vaccination strategies for the elderly, present the concept of trained immunity and propose it as a novel approach to enhance responses against infections and vaccinations in the elderly population.

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  • The global population has been experiencing an aging trend, and the elderly population is more susceptible to infections, increased mortality, and morbidity.

    “The global population has been experiencing an aging trend, and the elderly population is more susceptible to infections, increased mortality, and morbidity.368,369”

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  1. [170]Berendsen, M, Bles, P, de Bree, C et al. 2020. BCG vaccination induces innate immune training in adults over 50 years of age. Optimmunize: improving the beneficial effects of vaccines, Cambridge, UK. Abstract no: P3. Available at: https://coursesandconferences.wellcomegenomecampus.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Optimmunize-Abstract-Book-v2.pdf

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Authors
Bulut, O., Kilic, G., Domínguez-Andrés, J., & Netea, M. G.
Affiliations
  • Radboud University Nijmegen (NL)
  • Department of Internal Medicine and Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud University Medical Center , GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
  • University of Bonn (DE)
Corresponding author
Netea, Mihai G
Venue
International Immunology
Published
2020-08-07
Volume
32
Issue
12
Pages
741-753
ISSN
  • 0953-8178 (ISSN-L)
  • 1460-2377
OpenAlex
W3047982948
Cited by
99
References
181
Citations by year
2026: 14 · 2025: 15 · 2024: 29 · 2023: 12 · 2022: 12 · 2021: 14 · 2020: 3
FWCI
1.00
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • International Immunology (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Radboud Repository (Radboud University) (submittedVersion)
  • Radboud Repository (Radboud University) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
Funders
  • Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research
  • European Research Council (#833247)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Immunology › Immune responses and vaccinations
  • Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Immunology › Immunotherapy and Immune Responses
  • Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Immunology › Immune Response and Inflammation
Keywords
trained immunity, immunosenescence, aging immune system, innate immunity, vaccine response in the elderly, epigenetic reprogramming, metabolic reprogramming, influenza vaccination, pneumonia vaccination
MeSH terms
Aging, Animals, Humans, Immunity, Innate

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