T cell immunosenescence in vitro and in vivo

The term "immunosenescence" refers to an age-associated dysregulation of im mune function which contributes to the increased susceptibility of the elde rly to infectious disease. Although there are age-associated changes measur able in the innate immune system (Pawelec et al., 1998c), it is the adaptiv e, particularly T cell, system which is most susceptible to the deleterious effects of aging. In this minireview, characteristics of aging in long-ter m human T cell cultures will be summarized, and the parallels between the i n vitro model and in vivo immunosenescence will be documented. The use of c ulture models to screen for ways of manipulating immunosenescence in vitro may provide a basis for intervention to ameliorate immunosenescence in vivo . (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.