Lung Infections and Aging

Lower respiratory tract infections in the elderly are a significant source of morbidity and mortality. Age-related changes in both systemic and compartmentalized, in lung-specific immune responses show characteristics of both functional decline (immunosenescence) and hyperinflammation (inflamm-aging), which are likely significant risk factors that increase the risk of respiratory tract infections in elderly adults. An improved understanding of aging-associated defects in immune responses that increase susceptibility to respiratory infection as well as mechanisms that prevent excessively exuberant responses to evolving respiratory tract infections that can cause irreversible lung damage is needed. Vaccines that can compensate for or overcome the blunted immune responses in the elderly are needed to maximize the impact of strategies that seek to prevent respiratory infection in the elderly.