The steady accumulation of senescent cells with age has undesirable consequences, they secrete pro-inflammatory cytokines, which can lead to aging-related diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, etc.
Therefore, the theory of cellular senescence arguesHuman aging is the result of the accumulation of senescent cellsTo delay aging, we still have to start from the study of senescent cells.
NK cells are the "key" to the fight against aging
In 2016, the journal Nature published an article on the latest results of Baker, a molecular biologist at the Mayo Clinic in the United StatesRemoval of senescent cells by immune cells, mainly NK cells, can extend the lifespan of animals by 20%-30%.
NK cells, also known as natural killer cells, are the third type of lymphocytes alongside T cells and B cells, and are important members of the body's innate immune system, shouldering the three major tasks of antiviral, anti-aging and tumor killing.
Numerous studies have shown that:NK cells are core players in immune surveillance of senescent cellsNK cells can quickly capture abnormal "enemy forces" such as senescent, dead cells, cell debris, viruses, and cancerous cells, improve and stabilize the internal environment of the body, keep the body young and healthy, and are a "key" for the body to resist aging.
The Chinese research team published an article titled "Characterization of age-related immune features after autologous NK cell infusion: protocol for an open-label and randomized controlled trial" in Frontiers in ImmunologyThe article, the study shows:NK cells can significantly improve T cell senescence and depletion
An important hallmark of human aging is the aging and depletion of immune cells. Immune cell senescenceIt makes the immune system unable to detect and kill foreign invading bacteria and viruses, senescent cells, and diseased cells, which can lead to age-related infections and diseases. Therefore, overcoming immunosenescence is delaying the aging of the body.
The study enrolled 37 healthy subjects, of whom 32 were infused with expanded NK cells and 5 were injected with intravenous saline. The results showed that the aged CD28-, CD57+, CD28-CD57+, CD28-KLRG1+ CD4+ and CD8+ T cell populations were significantly reduced, and the PD-1+ and TIM-3+ T cells were also significantly reduced. SASP-related factors including IL-6, IL-8, IL-1, IL-17, MIP-1, MIP-1, and MMP1 were significantly reduced, in addition to increased cytotoxicity in T cells.
Clinical infusion of NK cells reduces markers of aging
A study in the international journal Biochemistry and Biophysics Reports, titled "Autologous NK cells propagated and activated ex vivo decrease senescence markers in human PBMCS", found that autologous NK cells cultured by expansion, In addition to exhibiting a strong ability to kill tumor cells and remove senescent cells, it also reduced the senescence markers of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in the blood after clinical infusion.
In this clinical study, a total of 5 volunteers participated, divided into two groups: a group of three people received an infusion of 1 billion NK; A group of two people receives a 2 billion NK infusion. p16 and -gal are known markers of senescence that can indirectly reflect the level of senescent cells in vivo. The older the individual, the higher the levels of p16 and -gal in vivo.
The results showed that after NK cell infusion, the levels of P16 and -Gal in 5 volunteers decreased to varying degrees. The first group of three volunteers was monitored for 90 days after receiving 1 billion NK cells. After two weeks, the senescence markers P16 and -gal in PBMCs decreased significantly in all three individuals; A 70-year-old person returns to about half of their initial value after 90 days.
The second group of two volunteers underwent longer-term observational testing and were injected with **2 billion NK cells at two different time points: once at the beginning and once after 192 days. The effect was similar to that of the first group: markers of senescence dropped substantially at the beginning, picked up over time, and declined again at the second infusion of NK cells.
The studyThese results suggest that NK cells can improve chronic inflammation and have the effect of delaying immunosenescence。As a powerful lymphocyte that mediates anti-tumor and antiviral responses, NK cells can detect senescent cells in the body in time and play a role in their removal.
NK cells** have great potential to delay cellular senescence and reduce the incidence of aging-related diseases. Understanding the state of immunosenescence in the body, early warning of the occurrence and development of aging-related diseases, can help formulate personalized intervention strategies for NK cell function and activity, restore the "young" state of NK cells, and achieve the ultimate goal of delaying aging and promoting health!