Are senescence and exhaustion intertwined or unrelated processes that compromise immunity?

AN Akbar, SM Henson - Nature Reviews Immunology, 2011 - nature.com
AN Akbar, SM Henson
Nature Reviews Immunology, 2011nature.com
Can the immune system be reactivated continuously throughout the lifetime of an organism
or is there a finite point at which repeated antigenic challenge leads to the loss of
lymphocyte function or the cells themselves or both? Replicative senescence and
exhaustion are processes that control T cell proliferative activity and function; however, there
is considerable confusion over the relationship between these two intrinsic cellular control
mechanisms. In this Opinion article, we compare the molecular regulation of senescence …
Abstract
Can the immune system be reactivated continuously throughout the lifetime of an organism or is there a finite point at which repeated antigenic challenge leads to the loss of lymphocyte function or the cells themselves or both? Replicative senescence and exhaustion are processes that control T cell proliferative activity and function; however, there is considerable confusion over the relationship between these two intrinsic cellular control mechanisms. In this Opinion article, we compare the molecular regulation of senescence and exhaustion in T cells. Available data suggest that both processes are regulated independently of each other and that it may be safer to block exhaustion than senescence to enhance immunity.
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