CALPAIN ACTIVITY MAINTAINS GOOD HEALTH OF CENTENARIAN T CELLS; SUMMARY OF THE CALPACENT PROJECT

Causes of aging-associated deterioration of human immunity, and the reasons why the immune system of the oldest old individuals (centenarians) is relatively robust, remain moot. Intracellular proteolysis system of two proteases – µ- and m-calpain – and their inhibitor – calpastatin (the calpain-calpastatin system (CCS)) - is active in resting human peripheral blood T cells, participating in maintenance of their readiness to proliferate and secrete cytokines in response to stimulation. The amounts of the CCS proteins decrease in resting T lymphocytes of healthy elderly, only to return in the centenarians to those levels seen in the young individuals. We compared the calpain activities and th…