Immunity & Ageing

Editors' Pick: Mysterious miRs

Of the complex pathways regulating T cell production, development, activation, differentiation, efector function and ageing, miRs have recently gained prominence in the eyes of immunogerontologists. A prime mover in this respect is miR-181a, the expression of which is dynamically regulated during the T cell life cycle, from development in the thymus to differentiation and eventually aging in the periphery. In their review paper, “miR-181a-regulated pathways in T-cell differentiation and aging”, Kim, Ye, Weyand and Goronzy demystify the central function of this miR-181 family member, explaining the unique role of miR-181a in T cell development, T cell activation and antiviral T cell responses, the mechanisms causing its age-related decline and the potential of restoring its expression or targeting it to rejuvenate T cell responses in older people.

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Thematic series: Immunity, Metabolism and Aging

Due to the cancellation of the meeting “Immunity, Metabolism and Aging”, scheduled to take place in Modena (Italy), September 24-25 2020, for the difficult circumstances created by the global COVID-19 pandemic, we have suggested a "Symposium-in-Writing" whereby the speakers that have already accepted to give a talk in Modena will submit a paper to this special issue of the journal Immunity & Ageing. Daniela Frasca and Andrea Cossarizza

Thematic series: Towards Biomarkers of Human Immunosenescence

‘Immunosenescence’ describes the multifactorial changes in the immune system with advanced age. To increase our understanding of the conditions of immune function in aging, the focus of this special issue is to document biomarkers of age-related immune conditions. We seek articles which highlight validated biomarkers or approaches to quantify immune aging, clarify heterogeneity among changes that accrue in aging, identify mechanisms underlying the altered state, or highlight where interventions may serve to improve health.  Articles may be commentaries or original research. Articles especially welcomed will address conceptual topics, detectable biomarkers, or clinical implications.