According to American researchers, a mechanism could promote chronic inflammation in older people, which would contribute to aging.
- Chronic inflammation can be responsible for many degenerative pathologies.
- Macrophages are immune cells, which promote the proper functioning of our body.
- Over time, the effectiveness of macrophages decreases and contributes to the occurrence of chronic inflammation.
Inflammation is a natural process that helps fight bacteria, viruses and parasites. However, it can sometimes be harmful to our body, particularly when it enters an abnormal phase which lasts for several weeks, months, or even years. We then speak of chronic inflammation. This phenomenon is particularly common among older people.
A decrease in the action of immune cells with age
Researchers at the University of Virginia (United States) observed that the ability of mitochondrial macrophages, immune cells, to absorb and use calcium decreases with age. This mechanism therefore contributes to the chronic inflammation that can occur in older people and which accelerates the aging process.
Macrophages are mainly white blood cells, which participate in the proper functioning of our immune system by eliminating cellular debris and protecting it from pathogens as well as external threats.
New therapeutic avenues to fight chronic inflammation
In a study published in the journal Nature Agingscientists have identified a mechanism that could be behind the changes in macrophages associated with age. According to them, these immune cells become sensitive to mild and constant inflammation. As soon as they are exposed to threats, they can overreact, leading to chronic age-related inflammation.
The study leaders therefore suggested that improving the absorption of calcium by macrophages could prevent this inflammation. “I believe we have made a key conceptual breakthrough in understanding the molecular underpinnings of age-associated inflammation (…) This discovery paves the way for new therapeutic strategies aimed at blocking the inflammatory cascades that are at the heart of numerous cardiometabolic and neurodegenerative diseases”noted Dr. Bimal N. Desai, co-author of the study in the Department of Pharmacology and the Carter Immunology Center at the University of Virginia.
