TY - JOUR
T1 - Inflamm-ageing and lifelong antigenic load as major determinants of ageing rate and longevity
AU - De Martinis, Massimo
AU - Franceschi, Claudio
AU - Monti, Daniela
AU - Ginaldi, Lia
PY - 2005/4/11
Y1 - 2005/4/11
N2 - Immunosenescence is the consequence of the continuous attrition caused by chronic antigenic stress. The most important characteristics of immunosenescence (accumulation of memory and effector T cells, reduction of naive T cells, shrinkage of T cell repertoire, reduction of the immunological space) are compatible with this assumption. Immunosenescence can be taken as proof that the beneficial effects of the immune system, devoted to the neutralization of harmful agents early in life, become detrimental late in life, in a period not foreseen by evolution. This perspective could explain the mechanisms of the ageing process as well as the pathogenesis of age-related diseases.
AB - Immunosenescence is the consequence of the continuous attrition caused by chronic antigenic stress. The most important characteristics of immunosenescence (accumulation of memory and effector T cells, reduction of naive T cells, shrinkage of T cell repertoire, reduction of the immunological space) are compatible with this assumption. Immunosenescence can be taken as proof that the beneficial effects of the immune system, devoted to the neutralization of harmful agents early in life, become detrimental late in life, in a period not foreseen by evolution. This perspective could explain the mechanisms of the ageing process as well as the pathogenesis of age-related diseases.
KW - Age-related diseases
KW - Ageing rate
KW - Antigenic load
KW - Immunosenescence
KW - Inflamm-ageing
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=16344376370&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=16344376370&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.febslet.2005.02.055
DO - 10.1016/j.febslet.2005.02.055
M3 - Article
C2 - 15811314
AN - SCOPUS:16344376370
VL - 579
SP - 2035
EP - 2039
JO - FEBS Letters
JF - FEBS Letters
SN - 0014-5793
IS - 10
ER -