Immunosenescence: Driver of Cardiac Aging

Immunity is essential for host’s survival, and aging of immune system (immunosenescence) may compromise host immunity, leading to chronic, low-grade inflammation, consequently contributing to aging and age-related diseases, like cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative diseases. Although with a strong reserve capacity, hearts of the elderly manifest structural and functional changes, including left ventricular hypertrophy, left ventricular enlargement, interstitial fibrosis and diastolic dysfunction. The senescent immune cells undergo decline in antigen processing and presentation capacity, reduced phagocytosis, increased inflammatory phenotype (SASP), and limited specificity. Through autocrine and paracrine style, these senescent cells lead to cardiac aging and cardiac diseases, including atherosclerosis, cardiomyopathy and heart failure. Senotherapeutics development on eliminating or modulating senescent immune cells to alleviate cardiac aging and cardiovascular diseases is also covered in this review.