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Ferrucci L, Wilson DM, Donega S, Montano M. Enabling translational geroscience by broadening the scope of geriatric care. Aging Cell 2024; 23:e14034. [PMID: 38038340 PMCID: PMC10776120 DOI: 10.1111/acel.14034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Revised: 10/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Geroscience poses that core biological mechanisms of aging contribute to chronic diseases and disabilities in late life and that health span and longevity can be modulated by pharmacological and behavioral interventions. Despite strong evidence from studies in model organisms and great potentials for translation, most geriatricians remain skeptical that geroscience will help them in the day-by-day battle with the consequences of aging in their patients. We believe that a closer collaboration between gerontologists and geriatricians is the key to overcome this impasse. There is evidence that trajectories of health with aging are rooted in intrinsic and extrinsic exposures that occur early in life and affect the pace of molecular and cellular damage accumulation with aging, also referred to as the "pace" of biological aging. Tools that measure the pace of aging currently allow for the identification of individuals experiencing accelerated aging and at higher risk of multimorbidity and disability. What we term "Translational Geroscience", i.e., the merger of fundamental and translational science with clinical practice, is thus poised to extend the action of geriatric care to a life course perspective. By targeting core mechanisms of aging, gerotherapeutics should be effective in treating patients with multimorbidity and disability, phenotypes that are all too common among geriatric patients nowadays. We call for initiatives that enhance the flow of ideas between gerontologists and geriatricians to facilitate the growth of translational geroscience. This approach can widen the scope of geriatric care, including a new role for geroscience in the promotion and operationalization of healthy longevity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luigi Ferrucci
- Intramural Research Program of the National Institute on Aging, NIHBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - David M. Wilson
- Biomedical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Life SciencesHasselt UniversityDiepenbeekBelgium
| | - Stefano Donega
- Intramural Research Program of the National Institute on Aging, NIHBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Monty Montano
- Department of MedicineHarvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
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Karagiannis TT, Dowrey TW, Villacorta-Martin C, Montano M, Reed E, Belkina AC, Andersen SL, Perls TT, Monti S, Murphy GJ, Sebastiani P. Multi-modal profiling of peripheral blood cells across the human lifespan reveals distinct immune cell signatures of aging and longevity. EBioMedicine 2023; 90:104514. [PMID: 37005201 PMCID: PMC10114155 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2023.104514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Revised: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Age-related changes in immune cell composition and functionality are associated with multimorbidity and mortality. However, many centenarians delay the onset of aging-related disease suggesting the presence of elite immunity that remains highly functional at extreme old age. METHODS To identify immune-specific patterns of aging and extreme human longevity, we analyzed novel single cell profiles from the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of a random sample of 7 centenarians (mean age 106) and publicly available single cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) datasets that included an additional 7 centenarians as well as 52 people at younger ages (20-89 years). FINDINGS The analysis confirmed known shifts in the ratio of lymphocytes to myeloid cells, and noncytotoxic to cytotoxic cell distributions with aging, but also identified significant shifts from CD4+ T cell to B cell populations in centenarians suggesting a history of exposure to natural and environmental immunogens. We validated several of these findings using flow cytometry analysis of the same samples. Our transcriptional analysis identified cell type signatures specific to exceptional longevity that included genes with age-related changes (e.g., increased expression of STK17A, a gene known to be involved in DNA damage response) as well as genes expressed uniquely in centenarians' PBMCs (e.g., S100A4, part of the S100 protein family studied in age-related disease and connected to longevity and metabolic regulation). INTERPRETATION Collectively, these data suggest that centenarians harbor unique, highly functional immune systems that have successfully adapted to a history of insults allowing for the achievement of exceptional longevity. FUNDING TK, SM, PS, GM, SA, TP are supported by NIH-NIAUH2AG064704 and U19AG023122. MM and PS are supported by NIHNIA Pepper center: P30 AG031679-10. This project is supported by the Flow Cytometry Core Facility at BUSM. FCCF is funded by the NIH Instrumentation grant: S10 OD021587.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanya T Karagiannis
- Institute for Clinical Research and Health Policy Studies, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Todd W Dowrey
- Center for Regenerative Medicine (CReM), Boston University and Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Carlos Villacorta-Martin
- Center for Regenerative Medicine (CReM), Boston University and Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Monty Montano
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Boston Pepper Center, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Eric Reed
- Data Intensive Study Center, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Anna C Belkina
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA; Flow Cytometry Core Facility, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Stacy L Andersen
- Department of Medicine, Geriatrics Section, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Thomas T Perls
- Department of Medicine, Geriatrics Section, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Stefano Monti
- Bioinformatics Program, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA; Division of Computational Biomedicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - George J Murphy
- Center for Regenerative Medicine (CReM), Boston University and Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA; Section of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Paola Sebastiani
- Institute for Clinical Research and Health Policy Studies, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Medicine, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA
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Lee GC, Moreira AG, Hinojosa C, Benavides R, Winter C, Anderson AC, Chen CJ, Borsa N, Hastings G, Black CA, Bandy SM, Shaffer A, Restrepo MI, Ahuja SK. Metformin Attenuates Inflammatory Responses and Enhances Antibody Production in an Acute Pneumonia Model of Streptococcus pneumoniae. FRONTIERS IN AGING 2022; 3:736835. [PMID: 35821804 PMCID: PMC9261336 DOI: 10.3389/fragi.2022.736835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Metformin may potentially reverse various age-related conditions; however, it is unclear whether metformin can also mitigate or delay the deterioration of immunological resilience that occurs in the context of infections that are commonly observed in older persons. We examined whether metformin promotes the preservation of immunological resilience in an acute S. pneumoniae (SPN) infection challenge in young adult mice. Mice were fed metformin (MET-alone) or standard chow (controls-alone) for 10 weeks prior to receiving intratracheal inoculation of SPN. A subset of each diet group received pneumococcal conjugate vaccine at week 6 (MET + PCV and control + PCV). Compared to controls-alone, MET-alone had significantly less infection-associated morbidity and attenuated inflammatory responses during acute SPN infection. Metformin lowered the expression of genes in the lungs related to inflammation as well as shorter lifespan in humans. This was accompanied by significantly lower levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (e.g., IL6). MET + PCV vs. control + PCV manifested enhanced SPN anticapsular IgM and IgG levels. The levels of SPN IgM production negatively correlated with expression levels of genes linked to intestinal epithelial structure among MET + PCV vs. control + PCV groups. Correspondingly, the gut microbial composition of metformin-fed mice had a significantly higher abundance in the Verrucomicrobia, Akkermansia muciniphila, a species previously associated with beneficial effects on intestinal integrity and longevity. Together, these findings indicate metformin's immunoprotective potential to protect against infection-associated declines in immunologic resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace C. Lee
- College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
- Pharmacotherapy Education and Research Center, School of Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
- The Foundation for Advancing Veterans’ Health Research, San Antonio, TX, United States
- Veterans Administration Research Center for AIDS and HIV-1 Infection and Center for Personalized Medicine, South Texas Veterans Health Care System, San Antonio, TX, United States
| | - Alvaro G. Moreira
- Veterans Administration Research Center for AIDS and HIV-1 Infection and Center for Personalized Medicine, South Texas Veterans Health Care System, San Antonio, TX, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
| | - Cecilia Hinojosa
- Department Pulmonary Diseases and Critical Care Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
- South Texas Veterans Health Care System, San Antonio, TX, United States
| | - Raymond Benavides
- College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
- Pharmacotherapy Education and Research Center, School of Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
| | - Caitlyn Winter
- The Foundation for Advancing Veterans’ Health Research, San Antonio, TX, United States
- Veterans Administration Research Center for AIDS and HIV-1 Infection and Center for Personalized Medicine, South Texas Veterans Health Care System, San Antonio, TX, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
| | - Audrey C. Anderson
- College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
| | - Chang-Jui Chen
- College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
| | - Noemi Borsa
- Department Pulmonary Diseases and Critical Care Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
- South Texas Veterans Health Care System, San Antonio, TX, United States
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Internal Medicine Department, Respiratory Unit and Adult Cystic Fibrosis Center, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Gabrielyd Hastings
- Department Pulmonary Diseases and Critical Care Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
- South Texas Veterans Health Care System, San Antonio, TX, United States
| | - Cody A. Black
- College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
- Pharmacotherapy Education and Research Center, School of Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
| | - Sarah M. Bandy
- College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
- Pharmacotherapy Education and Research Center, School of Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
| | - Alexander Shaffer
- Department Pulmonary Diseases and Critical Care Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
- South Texas Veterans Health Care System, San Antonio, TX, United States
| | - Marcos I. Restrepo
- Department Pulmonary Diseases and Critical Care Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
- South Texas Veterans Health Care System, San Antonio, TX, United States
| | - Sunil K. Ahuja
- Veterans Administration Research Center for AIDS and HIV-1 Infection and Center for Personalized Medicine, South Texas Veterans Health Care System, San Antonio, TX, United States
- South Texas Veterans Health Care System, San Antonio, TX, United States
- Department of Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
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Choong CKC, Belger M, Koch AE, Meyers KJ, Marconi VC, Abedtash H, Faries D, Krishnan V. Comparative Effectiveness of Dexamethasone in Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients in the United States. Adv Ther 2022; 39:4723-4741. [PMID: 35962234 PMCID: PMC9374287 DOI: 10.1007/s12325-022-02267-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION To compare the mortality of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 between those that required supplemental oxygen and received dexamethasone with a comparable set of patients who did not receive dexamethasone. METHODS We utilized the Premier Health Database to identify hospitalized adult patients with COVID-19 from July 1, 2020-January 31, 2021. Index date was when patients first initiated oxygen therapy. The primary endpoint was in-hospital mortality for patients receiving dexamethasone versus those not receiving dexamethasone 1-day pre- to 1-day post-index period. Secondary endpoints included 28-day mortality, time to in-hospital mortality, progression to invasive mechanical ventilation or death, time to discharge, and proportion discharged alive by day 28. Twenty-three models using weighting, matching, stratification, and regression were deployed through the concept of frequentist model average (FMA) to estimate the effect of dexamethasone on all-cause mortality up to the 28-day hospitalization period. RESULTS A total of 1,208,881 patients with COVID-19 were screened; as an inpatient 255,216 used oxygen, and 251,536 were included in the analysis. In the dexamethasone group, odds of in-hospital mortality were higher than those of the comparator (FMA: odds ratio [OR] 1.15, 95% CI 1.08, 1.22). Using a best fit model, OR for in-hospital mortality was non-significant for the dexamethasone group compared with the comparator (OR 1.02, 95% CI 0.92, 1.14). Dexamethasone treatment was associated with poorer outcomes versus the comparator group across the majority of secondary endpoints, except for number of days in hospital, which was lower in the dexamethasone group versus the comparator group (mean difference - 2.14, 95% CI - 2.43, - 1.47). CONCLUSIONS Hospitalized adult patients with COVID-19 who required supplemental oxygen and received dexamethasone did not have a survival benefit versus similar patients not receiving dexamethasone. The dexamethasone group was not associated with favorable responses for outcomes such as progression to death or mechanical ventilation and time to in-hospital death.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mark Belger
- Eli Lilly and Company, 893 S. Delaware Street, Indianapolis, IN 46225 USA
| | - Alisa E. Koch
- Eli Lilly and Company, 893 S. Delaware Street, Indianapolis, IN 46225 USA
| | - Kristin J. Meyers
- Eli Lilly and Company, 893 S. Delaware Street, Indianapolis, IN 46225 USA
| | - Vincent C. Marconi
- Rollins School of Public Health and the Emory Vaccine Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA USA
| | - Hamed Abedtash
- Eli Lilly and Company, 893 S. Delaware Street, Indianapolis, IN 46225 USA
| | - Douglas Faries
- Eli Lilly and Company, 893 S. Delaware Street, Indianapolis, IN 46225 USA
| | - Venkatesh Krishnan
- Eli Lilly and Company, 893 S. Delaware Street, Indianapolis, IN 46225 USA
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