How immune aging changes immune responses and what causes it
The effects of immune-age on immune-response and the molecular mechanisms which drive it
Researchers will compare people’s immune 'age' to how their immune systems respond across adulthood to learn why some people respond differently to infections and treatments.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Stanford University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Stanford, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11192808 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project measures many immune cell types and molecular signals in people of different ages and uses a calculated "immune-age" to place each person along a common aging path. The team will expand their cohort, including 40–60-year-old twins, and collect blood for cells, cytokines, epigenetic marks, and metabolic measures. By linking those measurements to how immune systems react, they aim to find molecular changes that drive faster or slower immune aging. If you join, you would give samples and health information so researchers can compare your immune profile to others along the aging trajectory.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults across a range of ages—especially volunteers aged 40–60 and twin pairs—who can provide blood samples and health history are ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People looking for an immediate new treatment are unlikely to benefit directly because this is a discovery and biomarker-focused project rather than a therapy trial.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could help predict who is more likely to have weak or strong immune responses and guide more personalized prevention or treatment strategies.
How similar studies have performed: Prior studies have mapped age-related changes in immune cells and produced 'immune-age' metrics, but applying detailed molecular profiling and linking it to clinical outcomes is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Stanford, United States
- Stanford University — Stanford, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Shen-Orr, Shai Shlomo — Stanford University
- Study coordinator: Shen-Orr, Shai Shlomo
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 below.