About this Research Topic
With increasing global lifespans, the older adult population (over 65 years old) is projected to grow significantly worldwide. By 2050, the number of older adults is expected to reach nearly 1.5 billion globally, up from 703 million in 2019. This demographic shift will profoundly impact healthcare systems, as older adults are more susceptible to complex aging-related diseases, including cancer, autoimmune disorders, and infectious diseases. The COVID-19 pandemic starkly highlighted these vulnerabilities, with about 81% of COVID-19 deaths in 2020 occurring among those aged 65 and above.
Aging significantly affects the immune system through processes such as immunosenescence and inflammaging, which impair both innate and adaptive immune responses. These changes lead to decreased immune competence, reduced vaccine effectiveness, and increased susceptibility to infections such as influenza, COVID-19, Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), and pneumococcal infections. The efficacy of vaccines against these infections is significantly lower in older adults than in younger populations, with reduced effectiveness. Factors contributing to this decline include impaired immune cell function, chronic low-grade inflammation, and comorbid conditions. While substantial literature highlights on these age-related immune alterations, gaps remain in understanding the precise molecular mechanisms, developing personalized vaccination strategies, and optimizing interventions to enhance vaccine responses. Addressing these gaps is essential for advancing vaccine efficacy, durability, and improving health outcomes in the aging population.
This Research Topic aims to cover cutting-edge research at the intersection of immune responses to vaccines and aging, utilizing advanced systems immunology approaches (including serology, flow cytometry, cytokine profiling, single-cell genomics, and spatial transcriptomics) capturing responsiveness to vaccines in blood and other tissues, with a special focus on vaccines against respiratory infections. We welcome submissions in the form of original research, reviews, mini-reviews, perspectives, and clinical reports on (but are not limited to) the following topics:
1. Serological (neutralizing antibodies and breadth of antibodies) responses to vaccines in the aging population.
2. Cellular phenotypes and functionalities associated with vaccine responsiveness at baseline and post-vaccination time points in older adults.
3. Clinical indicators of vaccine responses in the older adult population.
4. Immunological biomarkers (cell proportion differences/ epigenomic/ transcriptomic/ proteomic features) / classification models predictive of vaccine responsiveness.
5. Effect of aging on tissue immunity and germinal center responses to vaccines.
6. Insights from animal models/ human in vitro models about vaccine responses in the aging population.
7. Influence of cofactors such as sex and chronic infections (e.g., CMV) on vaccine responses.
8. Intervention strategies (formulations, doses, adjuvants, senolytics) to improve vaccine efficacy.
Aging significantly affects the immune system through processes such as immunosenescence and inflammaging, which impair both innate and adaptive immune responses. These changes lead to decreased immune competence, reduced vaccine effectiveness, and increased susceptibility to infections such as influenza, COVID-19, Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), and pneumococcal infections. The efficacy of vaccines against these infections is significantly lower in older adults than in younger populations, with reduced effectiveness. Factors contributing to this decline include impaired immune cell function, chronic low-grade inflammation, and comorbid conditions. While substantial literature highlights on these age-related immune alterations, gaps remain in understanding the precise molecular mechanisms, developing personalized vaccination strategies, and optimizing interventions to enhance vaccine responses. Addressing these gaps is essential for advancing vaccine efficacy, durability, and improving health outcomes in the aging population.
This Research Topic aims to cover cutting-edge research at the intersection of immune responses to vaccines and aging, utilizing advanced systems immunology approaches (including serology, flow cytometry, cytokine profiling, single-cell genomics, and spatial transcriptomics) capturing responsiveness to vaccines in blood and other tissues, with a special focus on vaccines against respiratory infections. We welcome submissions in the form of original research, reviews, mini-reviews, perspectives, and clinical reports on (but are not limited to) the following topics:
1. Serological (neutralizing antibodies and breadth of antibodies) responses to vaccines in the aging population.
2. Cellular phenotypes and functionalities associated with vaccine responsiveness at baseline and post-vaccination time points in older adults.
3. Clinical indicators of vaccine responses in the older adult population.
4. Immunological biomarkers (cell proportion differences/ epigenomic/ transcriptomic/ proteomic features) / classification models predictive of vaccine responsiveness.
5. Effect of aging on tissue immunity and germinal center responses to vaccines.
6. Insights from animal models/ human in vitro models about vaccine responses in the aging population.
7. Influence of cofactors such as sex and chronic infections (e.g., CMV) on vaccine responses.
8. Intervention strategies (formulations, doses, adjuvants, senolytics) to improve vaccine efficacy.
Keywords: aging, vaccines, immunity, biomarkers, interventions
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
