A diminished immune response underlies age-related SARS-CoV-2 pathologies. Academic Article uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • Morbidity and mortality in response to SARS-CoV-2 infection are significantly elevated in people of advanced age. To understand the underlying biology of this phenotype, we utilize the golden hamster model to compare how the innate and adaptive immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection differed between younger and older animals. We find that while both hamster cohorts showed similar virus kinetics in the lungs, the host response in older animals was dampened, with diminished tissue repair in the respiratory tract post-infection. Characterization of the adaptive immune response also revealed age-related differences, including fewer germinal center B cells in older hamsters, resulting in reduced potency of neutralizing antibodies. Moreover, older animals demonstrate elevated suppressor T cells and neutrophils in the respiratory tract, correlating with an increase in TGF-β and IL-17 induction. Together, these data support that diminished immunity is one of the underlying causes of age-related morbidity.

publication date

  • June 9, 2022

Research

keywords

  • COVID-19
  • SARS-CoV-2

Identity

PubMed Central ID

  • PMC9181267

Scopus Document Identifier

  • 85132860136

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1126/sciadv.abc4493

PubMed ID

  • 35714615

Additional Document Info

volume

  • 39

issue

  • 13