Targeting Age-Associated Immune Senescence via Nanoparticle-Based Metabolic Reprogramming
Being able to "age" up to 80-100 years is a triumphant hallmark of human evolution. Unfortunately, human aging in the modern era has become synonymous with poor health. Thus, strategies to promote healthy aging are urgently needed to ensure a sustainable future for humanity. Modern-day evidence clearly shows that the immune system is one of the key mechanisms that govern aging. Unfortunately, immunological competence becomes senescent with age. This age-associated immune senescence represents a major therapeutic target to address age-related health issues. Recent advances in the field of "immunometabolomics" reveal that metabolic pathways play a central role in age-associated immune senescence. Thus, metabolism reprogramming innovations targeting immune senescence are key to reinstating desired immune competence in aged hosts. The rapid expansion of nanoparticle science promises to accelerate therapeutic metabolic reprogramming strategies and represents a new frontier for targeting immune senescence. In this perspective, we discuss opportunities for nanoparticle-based systems designed to rejuvenate immunity and promote healthy aging.
Authors
- Susan E. Howlett (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5351-6308)
- Preethi Gopalakrishnan Nair
- Vishnu Vijay Vijayan
- Unnikrishnan Babukuttan Sheela
- Shashi Gujar (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5427-0829)
- Pieter Cullis (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9586-2508)
Institutions
- Dalhousie University (CA)
- University of British Columbia (CA)
- Kyoto University (JP)
- Beatrice Hunter Cancer Research Institute (CA)
- Immunité et Cancer (FR)
Publication Details
- Journal
- ACS Nano
- Published
- 2026-05-08
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.5c18638
- Primary Topic
- Telomeres, Telomerase, and Senescence
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada
- Government of Canada
- Canadian Cancer Society
- Canada Foundation for Innovation
- Research Nova Scotia
- Institute of Cancer Research