Supercentenarians Have Unusually High Levels of Cancer-Killing Immune Cells

A study found that people who live past 100 have unusually high levels of rare immune cells that may help their bodies fight abnormal cells.

Medicine

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People who reach 100 or even 110 may have an immune system that stays unusually active in extreme old age. A new Cell Reports study found that rare CD4 cytotoxic T cells, immune cells capable of killing abnormal target cells, become much more common around age 100 and continue expanding in supercentenarians. Researchers studied blood samples from 28 adults across three age groups and found the median share of these cells rose from about 4 percent in adults aged 70 to 99, to 9.6 percent in people aged 100 to 109, and 17.6 percent in people aged 110 and older. The cells also appeared in large groups of nearly identical copies, suggesting repeated exposure to persistent immune challenges. Some of the receptor patterns found in these expanded cells resembled patterns seen in T cells from cancer patients, which raises the possibility that they may help with immune surveillance against abnormal cells. But the study does not prove that these cells cause people to live longer or prevent cancer. It was based on a small, cross-sectional sample, and researchers still need to determine what the cells actually do inside human tissues. The findings instead point to an intriguing possibility: extreme longevity may involve an immune system that continues adapting rather than simply weakening with age.

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