Scientists Discover Key Biological Mechanism That Promotes Healthy Aging, Longevity
Strengthening it during midlife can extend healthspan but has limited effects beyond age 70. A study published in Aging Cell has identified immune resilience as a crucial factor in salutogenesis, the active process of promoting health and well-being.
Researchers analyzed data from 17,500 individuals across different stages of life and found that immune resilience, particularly involving TCF7, a gene critical for preserving the regenerative potential of immune cells, plays a vital role in supporting healthy aging and longevity.
The research indicates that immune resilience counters three major factors of aging and mortality: chronic inflammation, immune system decline (immunosenescence), and cell death. This protective mechanism mitigates biological aging processes and confers survival advantages. For example, at age 40, individuals with poor immune resilience face a 9.7-fold higher mortality risk—a risk equivalent to that of 55.5-year-olds with optimal immune resilience, resulting in a 15.5-year survival gap.
Maintaining optimal immune resilience preserves youthful immune profiles at any age; enhances vaccine responses; and significantly reduces the burden of cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and severe infections.
Midlife (ages 40–70) emerges as a pivotal window for longevity, with immune resilience reducing mortality by 69% during this period. However, after age 70, mortality rates converge between resilient and non-resilient groups, suggesting biological limits on lifespan extension. These findings underscore the importance of early midlife interventions to boost immune resilience to maximize healthspan.
“While most aging research focuses on disease mechanisms and the biology of aging, our work highlights how immune resilience sustains salutogenesis—actively promoting health,” said senior author Sunil K. Ahuja, MD, of UT Health San Antonio and the South Texas Veterans Health Care System. “This opens new avenues for strategies to enhance lifelong wellness.”
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