Understanding Immune Cell Aging and the Benefits of Banking Stem and Immune Cells

                Scientists have made new discoveries about immune cell aging. In a recent study, the researchers focused on T cells which are like the soldiers of the immune system and protect you from viruses, bacteria, and cancer. Memory T cells can “remember” particular dangers long after your body has first encountered them. These T cells change with time as we age just like other cells in our body. One of the ways that these changes occur is through an epigenetic methylation clock on the DNA. With an epigenetic clock, the actual sequence of the DNA “letters” is not changed, but special chemical marks known as methyl groups are added to and removed from parts of the DNA with time. This results in certain genes being turned on and off. Scientists have found that they can predict the age of cells in an organism’s body with remarkable accuracy by measuring how these epigenetic DNA changes occur with time.

                With these new experiments, researchers have found that T cells age a bit differently from the other cells in our body. T cells can divide and proliferate many more times than expected when the conditions are right. Researchers stimulated mouse T cells to proliferate through vaccination, enabling them to mount an immune response to an antigen target. They then transplanted the T cells into a new mouse after the original host became old. Surprisingly, the T cells were able to keep dividing through at least 4 mouse lifespans, far outliving the original host. The epigenetic clock of the T cells was also younger than other cell types of the body. Cells required sufficient rest between stimulation events with vaccination for this to occur. On the other hand, when T cells are exposed to persistent stimulation by chronic infections or cancer, they become exhausted and reach a state of senescence in which they are no longer able to divide. Curiously, the epigenetic clock of human cancer cells was quite different from healthy T cells and revealed an epigenetic age of hundreds of years old, much older than their actual chronological age.

                Such studies highlight the advantages of banking and preserving your immune and stem cells when you are healthy. As we age, the performance of our cells drifts away from normal healthy function, and sometimes cancer can even occur. In the case of chronic infections and cancer, our immune systems can wear down and stop functioning. When you store your immune cells when you are young, you have a fresh backup copy of your cells which you can use in case of an emergency. Immune transplants can be performed for many patients when they acquire cancer, an infection, or a blood disorder, but it can be difficult to find an appropriate donor match from traditional cell banks. If the match is not right, the patient may reject the transplanted cells, or alternatively, the foreign cells may attack the patient’s body. When you bank your own healthy, young cells for future use, you ensure that you have a perfect match (your own cells) for potentially life-saving treatments in the future.

If you are interested in banking your stem cells (HSPCs) through our program, please contact the Maharaj Institute of Immune Regenerative Medicine.

Please call Dr. Maharaj at 561-752-5522, https://maharajinstitute.com. Email: info@bmscti.org

to see how they can help you measure and maintain your healthy immune system and bank your own stem cells and immune cells for future use. Office 10301 Hagen Ranch Rd. Suite 600, Boynton Beach FL 33437.

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References

Mi, T., Soerens, A.G., Alli, S. et al. Conserved epigenetic hallmarks of T cell aging during immunity and malignancy. Nat Aging (2024).

Soerens, A.G., Künzli, M., Quarnstrom, C.F. et al. Functional T cells are capable of supernumerary cell division and longevity. Nature 614, 762–766 (2023).