Washington [US]: An inflammatory lipid shows up to minimize the variety of macrophages inside the lungs with age.
The research, led by first author Judy Chen, a Ph.D. candidate, senior author Daniel Goldstein, M.D., the Eliza Maria Mosher Collegiate Teacher in Internal Medication and also Teacher of Microbiology and Immunology, as well as their team investigates why cells called alveolar macrophages, the initial line of defense in the lungs, appear to be endangered with age.
These macrophages are immune cells that assault invaders like the influenza infection as well as reside in the small air sacs, or alveoli, inside the lungs. Significantly, these cells appear to be lost with aging.
Previous research by an additional team showed that when macrophages from an old mouse were taken into a young mouse, and cells looked young once more. "This drove us to think that something in the atmosphere of the lungs is contributing to this," claimed Chen. Read More..