NK cells, i.e., natural killer cells, are the core cells of the body's innate immunity and have a dual function, which can play a killing role as immune cells and participate in the immune response as immunomodulatory cells. They are always on alert and can directly fight invading pathogens without pre-activation.
NK immunity is often referred to as the "special police" unit in the immune corps because of its alert response and broad-spectrum killing characteristics, and it is also the first line of defense for human health. Compared to other innate immune cells, such as neutrophils and macrophages, NK cells have a wider range of roles in eliminating bacteria and fighting off viruses.
Compared with acquired immune cell T cells, NK cells are more responsive in anticipating the invasion of "enemies" and have a wider range of "killing" capabilities, not only limited to killing tumor cells, but also play an important role in defending against viruses and anti-aging.
We all know that the aging of the human body is caused by the cellular senescence of the basic unit of the body. As we age, those cells that stop growing accumulate in the body, forming useless "zombie cells". These zombie cells exist in the body for a long time and may cause various diseases related to aging, such as senile degenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases, malignant tumors, tissue and organ fibrosis, diabetes, osteoporosis, autoimmune diseases, and so on. These diseases have extremely high morbidity and mortality rates and are important factors in human mortality.
Interestingly, recent studies have found that aging in the human body may be the result of a buildup of "zombie cells" in the body. As the core cells of innate immune cells, NK cells are the absolute main force for the elimination of senescent cells.
On February 4, 2016, the journal Nature published a new study by Baker, a molecular biologist at the Mayo Clinic in the United States. This study showed that the removal of senescent cells by immune cells, mainly NK cells, could extend the lifespan of animals by 20%-30%. This discovery provides us with a new perspective on how NK cells can be used to fight aging and thus extend human lifespan.
The findings** were published in the journal Nature.
These findings further confirm that the removal of these zombie cells may be an attractive way to delay tumor formation, maintain tissue and organ function, and even prolong healthy lifespan, and that this finding not only provides a new strategy for anti-aging and longevity, but also provides a new idea for the development of new methods.
The aging of immune cells is closely related to the aging of the human body, and studies have shown that the immunity of the human immune system reaches its peak at the age of 20, and the ability of the human immune system is only half at the age of 40, and it drops sharply to 1 10 at the age of 70, and various diseases follow.
NK cell activity affects the lifespan of the human body
The role of the immune system in anti-aging is much greater than we think, and a long-lived person, his immune system function must be stronger than that of people of the same age. Some researchers have observed 138 healthy people (aged 4-106 years old, including 26 centenarians) for a long time, and the results show that the killing activity of NK cells is 63% in young people, 33% in middle-aged people, and about 55% in NK cells in the century-old, which is much higher than that of middle-aged people.
Mechanism of action of NK cell anti-aging
It only takes 6 minutes for NK cells to swim in the body, and they can circulate 240 times in the human body in a day, because of the fast swimming speed, once the body is found to be senescent, diseased cells and viral foreign bodies, it can solve the problem within a few minutes, and there are many ways.
1. Direct destruction: to release perforin and directly kill aging diseased cells.
2. Start the apoptosis switch: after binding to the receptor of the aging cell, the aging cell will apoptosis on its own.
3. Block nutrient supply: Use IFN-Y (gamma interferon) to cut off the nutrient supply of aging cells and make them die naturally.
4. Activation of phagocytic cells: It can recruit more phagocytic cells to increase the cleanup of senescent cells.
NK cells can be used in several ways to effectively protect the body from damage, so as to delay aging and maintain youthfulness.
Autologous immune cell health care is the most cutting-edge high-tech, scientific and safest health care method in the world. By extracting 50-100ml of peripheral blood from the human body, isolating and expanding NK cells in vitro and then transfusing them back into the body, a large number of NK cells will circulate thousands of times with the blood throughout the body, killing senescent cells, diseased cells, tumor cells, bacteria and viruses in the body, so as to achieve the purpose of improving immunity and prolonging life.