title: The aging immune system: primer and prospectus.
abstract: Changes in T lymphocyte populations underlie much of the age-related decline in the protective immune response. Aging leads to the replacement of virgin T cells by memory T cells and to the accumulation of cells with signal transduction defects. Studies of antibody gene assembly, accessory cell function, post-thymic T cell development, skewed selection of T cell receptor repertoire, and the clinical concomitants of immune senescence will shed new light on the causes and consequences of age-dependent immune failure.
authors.affiliation: University of Michigan School of Medicine, University of Michigan Institute of Gerontology, Ann Arbor, 48109-0642, USA.
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Miller
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation; D000938:Antigen-Presenting Cells / Q000276:immunology; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D004198:Disease Susceptibility / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007107:Immune System / Q000276:immunology*; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology; D008136:Longevity; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell