
Changes in the Immune System Can Promote Healthy Aging - seesawtron
https://neurosciencenews.com/immune-system-aging-16635/
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seesawtron
>> From their work in the tiny roundworm, Caenorhabditis elegans, the
scientists discovered a change in an evolutionarily conserved gene called
PUF60, which made the worms long lived but at the same time dampened the
immune response. Worms with this change lived about 20% longer than normal
worms, but when they were infected with certain bacteria, they succumbed more
quickly to the infection. This means that an overactive immune system also has
a price: it shortens life span. Conversely, a less active immune system pays
off as longer life span — as long as the animal does not die from an
infection.

