Interleukin-21 administration to aged mice rejuvenates their peripheral T-cell pool by triggering de novo thymopoiesis.

ABSTRACT: The vaccination efficacy in the elderly is significantly reduced compared to younger populations due to thymic involution and age-related intrinsic changes affecting their naïve T-cell compartment. Interleukin (IL)-21 was recently shown to display thymostimulatory properties. Therefore, we hypothesized that its administration to ageing hosts may improve T-cell output and thus restore a competent peripheral T-cell compartment. Indeed, an increase in the production of recent thymic emigrants (RTEs) attributable to intrathymic expansion of early thymic progenitors (ETPs), double-negative (DN), and double-positive (DP) thymocytes as well as thymic epithelial cell (TEC) was observed in recombinant (r)IL-21-treated aged mice. In sharp contrast, no alterations in the frequency of bone marrow (BM)

SUBMITTER: Al-Chami E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4783337 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature