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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Boston, Massachusetts » Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #180356
Title: VITAMIN E SUPPLEMENTATION REVERSES THE AGE ASSOCIATED DECREASE IN EFFECTIVE IMMUNE SYNAPSE FORMATION IN CD4+ T CELLS

Author
item AHMED, TANVIR - TUFTS/HNRCA
item MARKO, MELISSA - TUFTS/HNRCA
item WU, DAYONG - TUFTS/HNRCA
item CHUNG, HEEKYUNG - TUFTS/HNRCA
item HUBER, BRIGITTE - TUFTS UNIV SCH OF MEDICIN
item MEYDANI, SIMIN - TUFTS/HNRCA

Submitted to: Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences
Publication Type: Review Article
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/19/2004
Publication Date: 12/14/2004
Citation: Ahmed, T., Marko, M., Wu, D., Chung, H., Huber, B., Meydani, S.N. 2004. Vitamin E supplementation reverses the age associated decrease in effective immune synapse formation in CD4+ T cells. Annals Of The New York Academy Of Sciences. 1031: 412–414.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Aging is associated with impairment of T cell function. We demonstrate here that age-associated declines in T cell signaling are due to the inability to form effective immune synapses (IS) at the site of the T cell receptor and antigen interaction. Based on our previous research with vitamin E (E) we hypothesized that E supplementation of old CD4+ T cells enhances effective IS formation through increased translocation of signaling proteins. Using confocal microscopy we found that when exposed to antigen presenting cells, CD4+ T cells from old mice have a lower percentage of effective IS compared to those from young mice. Furthermore, we show that in vitro and in vivo E supplementation increases the percent of old CD4+ T cells capable of forming a functional IS. Further studies are underway to determine the mechanisms of age and E-induced enhancement of effective IS formation.