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Researchers have discovered a mechanism that drives the long-term decline in immune response that is observed after tuberculosis (TB) has been successfully treated. Their findings suggest a potential new way to restore immune responsiveness and reduce mortality risk after severe infections. "Sepsis and TB are associated with loss of protective immune responses and increased mortality post successful treatment," said Dr. Andrew DiNardo. "In the current study, we investigated what mediated the perturbation of immune function after severe infections." Researchers know that severe and chronic infections in humans and animals result in persistent, long-lasting epigenetic changes. These changes refer to alterations...

The mTOR (Target of Rapamycin) pathway is involved in both cancer and aging. Furthermore, common cancers are age-related diseases, and their incidence increases exponentially with age. In his new research perspective, Mikhail V. Blagosklonny, M.D., Ph.D. discusses rapamycin and other rapalogs and their potential to delay cancer by targeting pre-cancerous cells and slowing down organismal aging. "Rapamycin (sirolimus) and other rapalogs (everolimus) are anti-cancer and anti-aging drugs, which delay cancer by directly targeting pre-cancerous cells and, indirectly, by slowing down organism aging," state the researchers. Cancer is an age-related disease and, figuratively, by slowing down time (and aging), rapamycin may...