Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

What is the Immune System?

What is the Immune System?

Aging

Aging

Aging is a complex biological phenomenon influenced by various processes that affect cellular and systemic functions. Several prominent theories attempt to explain its mechanisms, highlighting cellular limitations, oxidative damage, and hormonal changes as central factors in aging.
Cellular Clock Theory
The cellular clock theory posits that the human lifespan is closely tied to the finite capacity of cells to divide, a phenomenon governed by telomeres, which are protective caps at the ends of...

The Effect of Aging on Tissues

The Effect of Aging on Tissues

Several body functions deteriorate with age. The external signs of aging are easily identifiable. For example, the skin becomes dry, less elastic, and thins out, forming wrinkles. The skin of the face begins to appear looser due to a decrease in the levels of elastic and collagen fibers in the connective tissue. Additionally, melanin production in the hair follicle decreases with age, resulting in gray hair. Moreover, the senses of sight and hearing decline, so glasses and hearing aids may...

Humoral Immune Responses

Humoral Immune Responses

Changes in the Appendicular Skeleton with Age

Changes in the Appendicular Skeleton with Age

The upper and lower limb initially develops as a small bulge called a limb bud, which appears on the lateral side of the early embryo. The upper limb bud appears near the end of the fourth week of development, with the lower limb bud appearing shortly after.
Initially, the limb buds consist of a core of mesenchyme covered by a layer of ectoderm. The ectoderm at the end of the limb bud thickens to form a narrow crest called the apical ectodermal ridge. This ridge stimulates the underlying...

Pharmacodynamics in Geriatric Patients: Effects of Age

Pharmacodynamics in Geriatric Patients: Effects of Age

Age-related pharmacokinetic changes are extensively documented, but understanding age-related pharmacodynamic alterations is relatively limited. This knowledge gap can be partly attributed to the complexity of developing appropriate measures of drug responses compared to bioanalytical methods for determining drug concentrations.Most information regarding age-related differences in human pharmacodynamics originates from cross-sectional studies. However, these studies assume that observed mean...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

The long non-coding RNA <i>Dreg1</i> is required for optimal ILC2 development.

eLife·2026

Same author

Technological advances in the search for a CURE for asthma.

The Medical journal of Australia·2025

Same author

MORC2 is a phosphorylation-dependent DNA compaction machine.

Nature communications·2025

Same author

An X-tra role for NFκB in gene regulation?

Immunology and cell biology·2025

Same author

Survey of activation-induced genome architecture reveals a novel enhancer of Myc.

Immunology and cell biology·2023

Same author

CIS controls the functional polarization of GM-CSF-derived macrophages.

Cellular & molecular immunology·2022

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 1, 2026

Cell-Specific Paired Interrogation of the Mouse Ovarian Epigenome and Transcriptome

Cell-Specific Paired Interrogation of the Mouse Ovarian Epigenome and Transcriptome

Published on: February 24, 2023

Epigenomic drivers of immune dysfunction in aging.

Christine R Keenan^1,2, Rhys S Allan^1,2

¹The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.

|November 30, 2018

Summary

Aging impairs immune function, increasing infection risk. This review explores how chromatin changes drive immune aging, aiming to restore youthful immunity.

Keywords:

chromatin epigenetics histone modifications immune aging immunity progeria

More Related Videos

Reusable Single Cell for Iterative Epigenomic Analyses

Reusable Single Cell for Iterative Epigenomic Analyses

Published on: February 11, 2022

CRISPR Epigenome Editing in Human Cells using Plasmid DNA Transfection and mRNA Nucleofection Delivery

CRISPR Epigenome Editing in Human Cells using Plasmid DNA Transfection and mRNA Nucleofection Delivery

Published on: May 30, 2025

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Feb 1, 2026

Cell-Specific Paired Interrogation of the Mouse Ovarian Epigenome and Transcriptome

Cell-Specific Paired Interrogation of the Mouse Ovarian Epigenome and Transcriptome

Published on: February 24, 2023

Reusable Single Cell for Iterative Epigenomic Analyses

Reusable Single Cell for Iterative Epigenomic Analyses

Published on: February 11, 2022

CRISPR Epigenome Editing in Human Cells using Plasmid DNA Transfection and mRNA Nucleofection Delivery

CRISPR Epigenome Editing in Human Cells using Plasmid DNA Transfection and mRNA Nucleofection Delivery

Published on: May 30, 2025

Area of Science:

Immunology
Gerontology
Molecular Biology

Background:

Immune function declines with age, increasing susceptibility to infections and reducing vaccine efficacy.
Age-related immune dysfunction is linked to chronic inflammation (inflamm-aging) and cellular changes in immune cells.
Molecular underpinnings of age-related immune decline are not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

To review the connection between chromatin alterations and immune aging.
To elucidate molecular mechanisms driving age-related loss of immune competence.
To explore strategies for restoring youthful immunity in the elderly.

Main Methods:

Review of existing literature on aging, immunology, and chromatin biology.
Analysis of age-related changes in immune cell frequency and function.
Discussion of molecular events, including chromatin modifications, in immune aging.

Main Results:

Aging affects all immune cell types, altering their function and frequency.
Chromatin changes, such as genomic instability and epigenetic alterations, are implicated in immune aging.
Inflamm-aging exacerbates immune dysfunction in aged individuals.

Conclusions:

Chromatin modifications are a key driver of age-related immune decline.
Understanding these molecular events is crucial for developing interventions to rejuvenate the aged immune system.
Restoring youthful immunity is a potential therapeutic goal for age-related diseases.