anti-PD1 mAb Research Articles

Abstract Increasing age is associated with the lesser ability of T and B cells to mount an effective immune response against the microbial antigens. Numerous reports have documented the malfunctioning of the different components of immune system with aging but a more detailed mechanistic understanding of the age associated immunological changes in the elderly individuals is needed to develop better vaccines specific for this population. In this study, we observed that PD-1, a key inhibitory receptor in chronic viral infections, was highly expressed on T cells from uninfected aged but not young mice. Next, we determined if PD-1 expression on T cells regulate adaptive immune responses in aged animals. Young and old groups of mice were treated with anti-PD1 or anti-PDL1 mAbs prior to HSV-1 or influenza A virus infection. Our results showed a significant increase in the number of HSV-1 or Influenza specific CD8+ T cells during acute and secondary expansion of memory CD8+ T cells in the aged mice group when compared with control infected aged animals. Furthermore, a significant increase in the number of flu-specific ASCs (antibody secreting cells) and memory B cells was clearly evident in the spleen of antibody treated aged animals in comparison to the control infected aged mice group. Supported by NIAID-AI-063365 grant

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