Reversing the immune ageing clock: lifestyle modifications and pharmacological interventions.

Plain Language Summary

Advancing age is accompanied by a compromised ability of older adults to combat bacterial and viral infections, increased risk of autoimmunity, poor vaccination responses and the re-emergence of latent infections. This review discusses current understanding of immunesenescence [the gradual deterioration of our immune system as we get older] and also focuses on lifestyle interventions and therapeutic strategies that have been shown to restore immune functioning in aged individuals. Findings show that: - changes in nutrition and lifestyle can be an effective approach towards improving immune outcome in older adults but may be hard to achieve at a population level. - improving immune responses, such as the developments of vaccines, may be used as an early biomarker for anti-ageing effects. Authors conclude that immunomodulation represents a promising therapeutic approach to improve the health of older adults.