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Updated: Aug 26, 2025

Evaluation of Host-Pathogen Responses and Vaccine Efficacy in Mice
Published on: February 22, 2019
How aging impacts vaccine efficacy: known molecular and cellular mechanisms and future directions
Judy Chen1, Jane C Deng2, Daniel R Goldstein1
1Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Program in Immunology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
Abstract:
Aging leads to a gradual dysregulation of immune functions, one consequence of which is reduced vaccine efficacy. In this review, we discuss several key contributing factors to the age-related decline in vaccine efficacy, such as alterations within the lymph nodes where germinal center (GC) reactions take place, alterations in the B cell compartment, alterations in the T cell compartment, and dysregulation of innate immune pathways. Additionally, we discuss several methods currently used in vaccine development to bolster vaccine efficacy in older adults. This review highlights the multifactorial defects that impair vaccine responses with aging.
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