INFLUENZA NUCLEOPROTEIN AS A PROBE FOR LOW CTL IN AGING

描述：流感病毒感染是导致 与年轻人相比，老年人的住院率和死亡率。 本提案的主要目的是检验以下假设： 老年小鼠清除流感感染和恢复的能力降低 CD 8+细胞毒性T淋巴细胞（CTL）缺陷 活动，并确定机制负责缺陷的CD 8 + CTL活性。 具体目标是，首先，确定是否减少 老年小鼠对流感病毒感染和疾病的抵抗力是由于 通过用流感病毒免疫小鼠降低CD 8 + CTL活性 核蛋白疫苗 第二，确定生物和分子 通过评估老年小鼠中CD 8 + CTL功能缺陷的基础 CD 8+效应细胞的功能和表型特征， 老年小鼠的前体记忆CTL 第三，判断是否下降 特定的T细胞功能与衰老相关， 流感病毒感染，第四，评估能力， 重组鼠IL-12和单磷酰脂质A佐剂来逆转 年龄效应

DESCRIPTION: Influenza virus infection is a major cause of increased hospitalization and death among elderly persons when compared to the young. The main objectives of this proposal are to test the hypothesis that the diminished ability of aged mice to clear influenza infection and recover from infection is due to deficient CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) activity and to identify the mechanisms responsible for the deficient CD8+ CTL activity. The specific aims are first, to determine if decreased resistance to influenza virus infection and disease in aged mice is due to diminished CD8+ CTL activity, by immunizing mice with influenza nucleoprotein vaccines. Second, to determine the biologic and molecular basis of deficient CD8+ CTL functions in aged mice by assessing the functional and phenotypic characteristics of CD8+ effector cells and precursor memory CTL in aged mice. Third, to determine if the decline of specific T cell functions with aging correlate with loss of resistance to influenza virus infection, and fourth, to evaluate the capacity for recombinant murine IL-12 and monophosphoryl lipid A adjuvant to reverse the age effects.