What are Immunosenescence

1. What are Immunosenescence? What are Immunosenescence? Immunosenescence is the deterioration of the immune system with aging. Clinically, immunosenescence can increase mortality and morbidity by increasing the rate of infections, inflammatory conditions, cell degeneration, metabolic disease, neurodegenerative disease, cancer, and autoimmune disease What are the symptoms of Immunosenescence? A hallmark of immunosenescence is chronic low-level inflammation (if you read our January newsletter, you would recognize this by its other names – metabolic inflammation or inflammaging). This inflammation is associated with fatigue, weight gain, brain fog, and leaky gut/dysbiosis. One of our concerns with immunosenescence is that it may predispose older adults reactivation of latent/dormant viral infections (eg shingles, Epstein-Barr Virus, HSV-1/HSV-2, and cytomegalovirus (CMV).

2. Can younger patients experience Immunosenescence? Absolutely, but to understand why, we need to introduce the concept of cellular senescence. This will be the topic of April’s newsletter, but start with knowing that cells that are damaged or excessively inflamed will stop dividing. If our body does not clear these senescent cells, they will secrete inflammatory proteins and make healthy cells near them senescent as well. Excess senescent cells may suppress the immune system, leading to immunosenescence. This may further reduce the ability to clear senescent cells, leading to build up of more senescent cells, eventually leading to metabolic inflammation What are treatment options for Immunosenescence? If we know that immunosenescence decreases our ability to clear senescent cells, Dr. Jones’s treatment strategy is to eliminate senescent cells directly and modulate the immune system to clear senescent cells. While this list is not all-inclusive and each treatment plan is customized for each individual patient, these are options to clear senescent cells, modulate our immune system, and boost Natural Killer cells and lower inflammation Supplements: Antioxidants (especially glutathione), probiotics, B12, mushroom extracts, antiviral supplements (lysine, monolaurin, Vitamin C, Vitamin D), quercetin, fisetin Peptides: Thymosin Alpha-1, Thymosin Beta-4, BPC-157, KPV, Epitalon, Pinealon, Cerebrolysin, DSIP IV therapy: FOXO4-DRI, Ozone, Exosomes Off-label prescription options: Metformin, Rapamycin, low dose naltrexone Diet: avoidance of allergens and inflammatory foods In summary, we want to keep our immune system balanced and robust to avoid the chronic conditions associated with immunosenescence and cellular senescence. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON IMMUNOSENESCENCE, CONTACT OUR OFFICE TO SCHEDULE YOUR NEXT APPOINTMENT!