We all know that as we get older, our immune systems don’t work quite as well as they used to. That’s a big reason why older adults tend to get sicker more easily and take longer to recover. But there’s a small group of people who seem to defy this trend — centenarians, or people who live to be 100 or older. Now, researchers think they may have uncovered why.
A Peek Inside the Immune System of the Oldest Among Us
A team of scientists from Boston University and Tufts Medical Center studied the immune cells of centenarians to understand what sets them apart. Using advanced genetic tools, they took a close look at immune cells in the blood of seven people over 100 years old. Then, they compared the results with similar data from people of different ages.
What they found was fascinating: centenarians had unique immune systems that appeared not only to function well but also to show signs of long-term adaptation. In other words, their immune systems had learned from years of exposure to illnesses and had stayed strong enough to bounce back — even at such an advanced age.
Why This Matters
Normally, as we age, our immune systems weaken, making us more vulnerable to diseases. But in these centenarians, the researchers saw something different. Their immune cells were still active and diverse, which may be the reason they were able to recover from past infections and live longer lives.
The study supports the idea that these long-lived individuals carry protective factors — whether genetic, environmental, or both — that help them fight off diseases better than most people. This kind of immune resilience might be the key to healthy aging.
What’s Next?
The hope is that by understanding how these exceptional immune systems work, scientists can develop new treatments or therapies that help the rest of us age more gracefully — staying healthier for longer. The researchers believe centenarians offer a sort of “blueprint” for how we might extend not just lifespan, but our healthspan — the years of life spent in good health.
So while living to 100 may still be rare, learning from those who do could help us all live better, longer lives.
Source: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/ebiom/article/PIIS2352-3964(23)00079…
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