Key points from article :
Researchers have focused on a protein called TIM-4, which levels fall in the elderly.
Due to an increased level of macrophage p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK or MAP kinase).
TIM-4 is essential to macrophages’ ability to clean up cellular debris.
Research team gave elderly an orally active p38 inhibitor to reduce the activity of p38.
This restored TIM-4 expression, sent macrophages to eat up previously ignored cell debris.
They found that immune resolution response between old and young people was similar.
Thereby effectively rejuvenating this aspect of immune function.
The study demonstrates that certain aspects of immunosenescence can be reversed in humans.
And that the dysfunction of the immune system is somewhat addressable.
Published in Nature Immunology.
