Topic: Health

Scientists at UC San Francisco discovered that older adults are more likely to develop severe illness from flu or COVID because their lung cells trigger an overly aggressive immune response. This can lead to serious conditions.

Older adults are more likely to get very sick from the flu or COVID-19. Scientists at UC San Francisco have found out why this happens. They discovered that older lungs contain special cells called fibroblasts that can trigger an overly aggressive immune response. This can turn even mild infections into serious conditions.

The research team, led by Dr. Tien Peng, studied how aging affects the lungs. They found that fibroblasts in older lungs send signals to immune cells, which then start an immune response. This response draws more immune cells into the lungs, including some marked by a specific gene called GZMK.

These GZMK cells are not very good at fighting infections, but they can still damage lung tissue. The researchers found that when these cells form clusters in the lungs, older adults develop severe symptoms similar to those seen in COVID-19 patients who need hospitalization.

The study also looked at lung tissue from older patients hospitalized with COVID-related ARDS (acute respiratory distress syndrome). They found that these patients had more of these GZMK cell clusters than healthy people. This suggests that the aging process itself may be a major driver of harmful inflammation in older adults.

Why It Matters

This research is important because it can help us understand why older adults are more vulnerable to severe illness from flu and COVID-19. It also opens up new possibilities for developing treatments that target these cells to interrupt the cycle of inflammation.

Key Facts

• Older adults are more likely to develop severe illness from flu or COVID-19
• Fibroblasts in older lungs can trigger an overly aggressive immune response
• GZMK cells are not good at fighting infections but can still damage lung tissue
• The study found that clusters of GZMK cells form in the lungs of older adults with severe symptoms
• Aging itself may be a major driver of harmful inflammation in older adults

Key Terms

Fibroblasts

Special cells in the lungs that help maintain lung tissue

Implications

This research is important because it can help us understand why older adults are more vulnerable to severe illness from flu and COVID-19. It also opens up new possibilities for developing treatments that target these cells to interrupt the cycle of inflammation.