Effect of age on molecular signaling of TNF-alpha-induced apoptosis in human lymphocytes.
Aging in humans is associated with progressing decline in T cell numbers and functions. In addition, there is an increased production of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) during human aging. TNF-alpha mediates both survival and cell death signals. TNF-alpha exerts its biological effects via TNFR-I and TNFR-II. Here we discuss signaling pathways induced by TNF-alpha and the effect of age on TNF-alpha-induced apoptosis in T cells and T cell subsets. T cells and T cell subsets from aged humans are more sensitive to TNF-alpha-induced apoptosis, which appears to be due to both an increased apoptotic signaling and decreased survival signals.
Gupta
Sudhir
S
Laboratories of Cellular and Molecular Immunology and Molecular Biology Division of Basic and Clinical Immunology, Medical Sciences I, C-240, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA. sgupta@uci.edu
Chiplunkar
Sujata
S
Kim
Choong
C
Yel
Leman
L
Gollapudi
Sastry
S
D000375:Aging / Q000276:immunology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000276:immunology*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000276:immunology*
D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha