Supercentenarians Show 17% Cancer-Fighting CD4 Cells as Study Links Immune Overdrive to Longevity
Updated
Updated · New Scientist · Aug 19
Supercentenarians Show 17% Cancer-Fighting CD4 Cells as Study Links Immune Overdrive to Longevity
3 articles · Updated · New Scientist · Aug 19
Summary
Blood tests from 10 people aged 110 and older showed CD4 cytotoxic T cells made up more than 17% of total T cells, versus nearly 10% in ages 100-109 and 4% in ages 70-99.
Those CD4 CTLs identify and kill threats such as cancer cells, and the study found they did not show T-cell exhaustion, suggesting they remain functional even in extreme old age.
Researchers say the cells may expand in response to age-related pressures including abnormal cells and reactivated viruses, pointing to active cancer immunosurveillance rather than simple immune decline.
The Cell Reports study covered 28 people in Japan, including 10 supercentenarians—a sizable sample in a country with only about 150 people aged over 110—and could guide efforts to reproduce that immune response in others.