Study of centenarians suggests they may be immune to age-related diseases

New research shows that people who live to be 100 years old or older may have immune cells that make them less susceptible to disease as they age

A study published in the journal “The Lancet” reports that researchers looked at the single-cell makeup of immune cells in the blood of seven individuals with an average age of 106. They compared their genetic profiles to the cells of seven alternate centenarians and more than 50 people between the ages of 20 and 89. They found that the study participants' immune cell profiles did not appear to have undergone the typical transformations associated with aging.  

A HealthDigest article on the study reports these natural changes often lead to gradual immune system decline in older adulthood

"What we basically found is that centenarians manifest a history of exposure to natural environmental immunogens that made them more resilient and more resistant to potential harmful factors," co-researcher on the study Dr. Stefano Monti told HealthDay.

Researchers identified the increased expression of STK17A, a gene involved in DNA damage response, and genes expressed uniquely in centenarians’ aperipheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), blood cells critical to fight infection. 

Given that longevity is the result of many factors – hereditary, environmental, and behavioral – it is not likely that we will any time soon be able to get a vaccine to protect us from age-related diseases.

However, this appears to be the first research that suggests some people may have developed a kind of immunity to age-related conditions that are often untreatable and typically compromise the quality of life among older adults.

If we can identify the factors contributing to that immunity, it may eventually lead to therapies that help to lengthen our lives or improve their quality.