title: NK cells in healthy aging and age-associated diseases.
abstract: NK cells exhibit the highest cytotoxic capacity within the immune system. Alteration of their number or functionality may have a deep impact on overall immunity. This is of particular relevance in aging where the elderly population becomes more susceptible to infection, cancer, autoimmune diseases, and neurodegenerative diseases amongst others. As the fraction of elderly increases worldwide, it becomes urgent to better understand the aging of the immune system to prevent and cure the elderly population. For this, a better understanding of the function and phenotype of the different immune cells and their subsets is necessary. We review here NK cell functions and phenotype in healthy aging as well as in various age-associated diseases.
authors.affiliation: Singapore Immunology Network-SIgN, Biopolis, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore 138648.
authors.forename: Xavier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Camous
authors.forename: Alejandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pera
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Solana
authors.forename: Anis
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Larbi
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology*; D016922:Cellular Senescence / Q000276:immunology; D004194:Disease; D006262:Health; D006801:Humans; D007109:Immunity / Q000276:immunology; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*