Why supercentenarians are immune to cancer – scientists
Scientists have discovered that the immune system of people over 110 does not decline but instead works with doubled strength, producing special CD4-cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CD4 CTLs). The proportion of these cells increases from 4% in middle-aged people to nearly 10% in centenarians and exceeds 17% in supercentenarians. The cells show no signs of exhaustion and retain the ability to destroy tumor cells and viruses.
Scientists have discovered why people over 100 are less likely to face cancer. The immune system of supercentenarians (over 110) does not decline but instead works with doubled strength, producing special CD4-cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CD4 CTLs). Blood tests showed that the proportion of CD4 CTLs among total T-cells increases from 4% in middle-aged people to nearly 10% in centenarians and exceeds 17% in supercentenarians. These cells show no signs of exhaustion and retain full ability to destroy tumor cells and viruses. Researcher Kosuke Hashimoto from Osaka University emphasizes that the results indicate that CD4 CTLs may contribute to immune surveillance against cancer in extremely old age. Spanish researcher Manel Esteller, who studied the body of Maria Branyas Morera (the world's oldest woman, who passed away in 2024 at age 117 years and 168 days), confirmed these findings. In the future, scientists hope to study in detail the mechanism of proliferation of these protective cells in order to reproduce such a beneficial immune response in other people.