Prof. Alon Monsonego of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev found that T helper lymphocytes, which are immune cells involved in regulating the body’s defences, shift in function as people grow older. These shifts can reflect a person’s biological age, which may not match their chronological age.
Within these changes, the research team (the labs of Prof. Monsonego and Prof. Esti Yeger-Lotem) identified a previously unknown group of T helper cells that become more common with age.
The significance of this discovery became clearer when a Japanese study on supercentenarians, meaning individuals who live well past 100, found that this same T helper cell subset was abundant in their immune systems. Prof. Monsonego now believes these cells may help maintain an immune response that is suitable for a person’s stage of life.
The team’s findings, led by Dr. Yehezqel Elyahu in collaboration with Prof. Valery Krizhanovsky of the Weizmann Institute of Science, were recently reported in Nature Aging.
Ageing, Senescent Cells, and the Immune Response
Scientists describe ageing as a process in which cells gradually lose the ability to repair routine damage. When this occurs, the body shows signs of ageing. Senescence cells, which naturally appear when regulated properly, become harmful if they accumulate, since they can trigger inflammation and tissue injury.
The researchers discovered that a portion of the T helper cells that increase with age unexpectedly have killing capabilities. These cells help remove senescent cells, thereby limiting their negative effects. Prof. Monsonego’s work showed that reducing the number of these T helper cells in mice caused the animals to age more quickly and shortened their lifespan.
This unusual and highly specialised subset of T helper cells continues to rise in number with age and appears to play an important role in slowing the ageing process.
Tracking Biological Age and Rethinking Immune Resetting
Because T helper cells shift as people age and appear central to how ageing unfolds, Prof. Monosonego and his team suggest monitoring these immune patterns in individuals beginning in their 30s.
Such tracking could reveal how quickly someone is ageing biologically and help guide early steps to support healthy ageing.
Differences of difference can develop between biological and chronological ages.
“People say that to reverse ageing and “rejuvenate,” we need to reset their immune system like the immune systems of people in their 20s. However, our research shows that this might not be the case. People don’t need a super-charged immune system; they need one that is working properly and appropriate for their stage in life. So, one of the “axioms” of how to reduce ageing may be incorrect,”
says Prof. Monsonego.
In addition to offering new insight into ageing, the newly identified cells may also be useful in diagnostics and future treatments addressing dysregulated ageing, longevity, and diseases linked to ageing.
Research Team and Support
Prof. Monsonego is part of The Shraga Segal Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Genetics in the Faculty of Health Sciences at BGU, and is also affiliated with The School of Brain Sciences and Cognition.
Contributors to the research included Ilana Feygin, Ekaterina Eremenko, Noa Pinkas, Alon Zemer, Amit Shicht, Omer Berner, Roni Avigdory-Meiri, Anna Nemirovsky, and Keren Reshef from BGU, along with Lior Roitman from Weizmann.
The work received support from the Israel Ministry of Science and Technology (Grant no. 3-16148) and the Litwin and Gural Foundations.
