Supercentenarians have hypervigilant immune systems that fight off cancer
People aged 110 or older seem to have a disproportionately high number of immune cells that fight off cancer and infections
A groundbreaking study has found that the immune systems of supercentenarians, individuals over 110 years old, exhibit an "overdrive" response, potentially contributing to their extraordinary longevity. This discovery challenges the conventional belief that immune function declines with age. As part of a small study, researchers analyzed blood samples of individuals aged 70 to 110, revealing a significant increase in a specific type of immune cell known as CD4 cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CD4 CTLs) in the oldest group.
Unlike previous immune systems, the CD4 CTLs in supercentenarians did not display signs of exhaustion, suggesting they retained the ability to adapt and fight off threats such as cancer. The study's lead researcher, Kousuke Hashimoto from the University of Osaka, Japan, emphasized that this remarkable resilience in the immune system is "remarkable" and may be a key factor in the extreme longevity observed in these individuals.
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