Key points from article :
Ageing causes our immune cells to become less able to fight off infections
This leaves older people hundreds of times more vulnerable to diseases than younger people.
Poor immune response also reduces their ability to benefit from vaccinations.
Drugs which already exist can actually slow and reverse both ageing and immune system decline.
Mice treated with rapamycin were shown to live between 15-25% longer than those not taking the drug.
They also showed improved function in many but not all organ systems, including the immune system.
A variant of rapamycin (everolimus) enhanced immune response to flu vaccinations by about 20% in elderly volunteers.
Researchers treated primates with interleukin-7 showed enhanced responses to flu vaccines.
Better immune responses were produced by patients vaccinated in the morning compared to those treated later in the day.
Repurposing these drugs help the most vulnerable populations fight off infections could save lives.
Studies published in PubMed, Science Direct.
