Aging immune cells and lysosome problems
Official title: Cellular senescence and Associated Lysosomal Dysfunction in Immune Aging
Funded at Buck Institute for Research on Aging · NIH-11285244 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are learning how older immune cells and faulty cell 'recycling centers' (lysosomes) drive chronic inflammation so future treatments can reduce age-related damage.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Buck Institute for Research on Aging NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Novato, United States) |
| Project start | March 1, 2024 |
| Project end | February 28, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $692,640 |
| NIH project number | 5U01AI180158-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11285244 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Older adults or people with signs of chronic inflammation who can provide blood samples and visit the Buck Institute (or partner clinics) would be ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
Younger people without immune-aging, or anyone unable to give blood or travel to study sites, are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this project.
What this research studies
This work looks at how senescent (old or damaged) immune cells build up and how their lysosomes stop working. Scientists will analyze immune cells taken from blood using flow cytometry and other lab tests to identify senescent T cells and measure lysosomal function. They will study how these cells send inflammatory signals and how they can cause nearby cells to become senescent. The team aims to find markers and targets that could help clear harmful cells or restore immune cell function.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could point to ways to lower chronic inflammation in older adults and lead to therapies that remove or repair harmful immune cells.
How similar studies have gone: Animal studies and early human work removing senescent cells have reduced inflammation and improved function, but focusing specifically on senescence in human T cells is a newer approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Buck Institute for Research on Aging
Novato, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Verdin, Eric M. — Buck Institute for Research on Aging
- Study coordinator: Verdin, Eric M.
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Aging Well with HIV: Alcohol, Risk Reduction, and Education Center (AWAR3E)
A center at Yale is exploring how aging with HIV interacts with alcohol use to create inflammation and frailty, with the goal of finding biomarkers and potential treatments.
-
Cognitive SuperAging: Exploring why some octogenarians stay sharp in memory
This NIH grant studies why a small group of people aged 80+ keep memory skills as good as much younger people, hoping to understand how to protect memory as we age.
-
Biological aging across the lifespan through a national high school-to-adult study
This grant uses a long-running national study of students and adults to collect saliva biomarkers of aging, alongside surveys, to understand how aging markers relate to health and life experiences.
-
Understanding how aging and Alzheimer’s affect how people make tough choices
This NIH grant studies how aging and Alzheimer’s risk change how people decide between immediate and delayed rewards and risky options, with the goal of helping older adults stay financially and healthwise safer.
-
Understanding how brain resilience and multiple brain pathologies influence aging and Alzheimer's disease
A long-term study follows older adults to learn how resilience to brain changes helps reduce dementia risk and what biological factors are linked to better cognitive aging.
-
National Neighborhood Data Archive helps researchers study aging health in U.S. neighborhoods
A nationwide data resource will help researchers understand how where people live affects health and aging, with a focus on respiratory illnesses in older adults.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.