Studying Immune Diseases To Fight Aging

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The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports that "extraordinary similarities exist at the molecular level between the immune systems of the elderly and those of young people with chronic inflammatory and autoimmune conditions." Researchers studying these conditions in children may discover ways to slow or prevent age-related damage to the immune system. The chief researcher mentioned here is not looking beyond incidental healthy life extension, however: "My goal is not to identify aging genes because aging is a normal outcome of human life. My goal is to slow down the ill effects of aging by reconstituting the immune system. There are people who think we should be studying longevity, but I think quality of life is more important."

Link: http://pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/health/s_262996.html