Immunity & Ageing

Topical Collection: Mice, women and men: species and sex differences in the role of the thymus in immunosenescence

Guest Editor:
Donald Palmer: University of London, UK

The thymus is critical for the development and generation of self-restricted and immunocompetent self-tolerant T cells. The thymus undergoes age-related reduction in size and activity (age-associated thymic involution) which leads to a reduction of T cell output and possibly contributes to the clinical features of immunosenescence. Despite the evidence that age-associated thymic involution appears to occur in almost all vertebrates, the mechanisms underlying this process are still not comprehensively known.

This Topical Collection accordingly aims to solicit papers on any aspect of age-associated thymic involution and how this impacts the ageing immune system in humans and mice, along with other species. The focus of the Collection will be sex- and species-specific differences regarding the role of thymic involution in immune senescence. Reviews, original articles, commentaries, hypotheses and opinion pieces are all very welcome.

Image credit: Ivy Mallick

Topical Collection: Immunobiology of Human Space Exploration

Guest Editors:
Richard J. Simpson: The University of Arizona, USA
Brian E. Crucian: NASA Johnson Space Center, USA

Space travel is associated with immune dysregulation that may increase clinical risk in future exploration crew. Prolonged orbital spaceflight missions have shown a number of immune and clinical changes that are akin to advanced human aging, including alterations to the peripheral T-cell and NK-cell compartments, impairments in humoral immunity, latent viral reactivation, and persistent hypersensitivity. We seek articles that are focused on immune dysregulation during spaceflight and spaceflight analog environments, particularly when immunological endpoints that overlap with human aging are considered. Articles focused on the effectiveness of countermeasures designed to mitigate the risk of immune dysregulation during space travel are particularly encouraged.

Topical Collection: Immunobiology of the mucosal system

Guest Editor:
Anshu Agrawal: University of California, USA

Mucosal immunology is the study of immune responses of the oral, lung, intestine and urogenital areas of the body. The mucosal environment as well the microbiome interacts with the immune system to have a profound effect. Advancing age is characterized by susceptibility to infections and other diseases of the mucosa. An example is the recent COVID-19 pandemic. We seek articles on all aspects of mucosal immunology and aging including increase incidence in infectious diseases, changes in the microbiome, mucosal vaccines and delivery systems, age-related changes in regeneration and repair mechanisms as well as clinical articles. Articles may be commentaries or original research.

Topical collection: Comparative Immunosenescence

Guest Editor:
Graham Pawelec: University of Tübingen, Germany

Our knowledge of the negative consequences of the important differences of immune function seen in younger and older individuals is scarce, and mostly limited to humans, mice and to some extent monkeys and companion animals. However, comparative studies of the health impacts of immune ageing in other species, potentially including invertebrates, and in kingdoms other than animals, are scarcer still, but might shed light on some common features required for survival in a dangerous world. This Topical Collection accordingly aims to solicit papers on any aspect of immune ageing in species other than humans and mice. Reviews, original articles, commentaries, hypotheses and opinion pieces are all very welcome.

Topical Collection: Towards Biomarkers of Human Immunosenescence

Guest Editors:
Ruth R. Montgomery: Yale University
Alan Cohen: USA University of Sherbrooke, Canada

‘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.

Topical Collection: Immune response to Influenza virus and vaccine in old adults

Guest Editors:
Sean X. Leng: Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, USA
Albert Shaw: Yale School of Medicine, USA

Seasonal influenza is a common respiratory infection that causes significant health burden worldwide, particularly in older adults. Studies of altered immune functions with aging in human and animal model systems have identified underlying mechanisms and offer potential therapeutic insights. Vaccination is an effective tool to reduce and even prevent severe infection and its complications. Recent improvements in vaccine design enhance vaccine efficacy for at-risk older adults. Understanding innate, humoral and cellular conditions of the host immune system that contribute to severe infection and to age-associated alterations in vaccine response represent important steps in reducing the disease burden of influenza for the growing older adult population.