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Peripheral T cells select the B-cell repertoire in old mice
M E Weksler1, C Russo, G W Siskind
1Department of Medicine, Cornell University Medical College, New York, NY 10021.
Immunological Reviews
|August 1, 1989
Summary
Antibody production changes in aging are not due to intrinsic defects but peripheral regulatory networks. Strategies to counteract these regulatory influences may reverse age-related declines in immunity.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Gerontology
- B-cell biology
Background:
- Aging alters the antibody repertoire, impacting immune responses.
- Previous hypotheses suggested intrinsic defects in B-cell populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the causes of age-related alterations in antibody production.
- To determine if B-cell repertoires are intrinsically different in aged individuals.
Main Methods:
- Generating B-cell hybridomas from young and old mice immunized with TNP bovine gamma globulin.
- Analyzing the number and type of antibody-producing clones recovered.
Main Results:
- Comparable numbers of B-cell clones were recovered from young and old mice.
- Similar numbers of IgG and high-affinity antibody-producing clones were found in both age groups.
- Actual B-cell repertoires appear similar, despite differences in expressed antibodies.
Conclusions:
- Age-related antibody differences stem from peripheral regulatory networks, not intrinsic B-cell defects.
- Strategies targeting peripheral downregulatory influences are promising for reversing immune senescence.
- Life-long antigen exposure shapes age-associated immune shifts, decreasing foreign antigen reactivity and increasing self-antigen reactivity.