Antiviral CD4+ T and myeloid cell responses to influenza vaccines are attenuated in older adults
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: ABSTRACT Recent influenza vaccine formulations have improved the magnitude of B-cell antibody responses in older adults; however, older adults remain significantly at risk for severe influenza-related illness. Although antibodies are an important metric of vaccine effectiveness, they only represent one aspect of the immune response. In this study, we combined in vitro and ex vivo assays with human samples to investigate B, CD4 + T, and myeloid cell responses to influenza vaccine antigens. We found that older adults mounted equivalent antibody titers to younger adults but had fewer influenza-specific CD4 + T cells and reduced antiviral-associated T helper cell populations. Single-cell transcriptomics revealed that older adults had attenuated interferon transcriptional signatures in T helper and myeloid cell subsets. These data suggest that with aging, transcriptional programming alterations in myeloid cells contribute to reduced antiviral T cell responses, and formulating vaccines tailored to myeloid responses is necessary to improve outcomes in older adults.
Source: Communications Medicine
Institution: Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Language: English
Subfield: Epidemiology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,690
Funders: Vanderbilt University, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Georgia Clinical and Translational Science Alliance, National Institutes of Health, Vanderbilt Digestive Diseases Research Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, National Eye Institute, National Cancer Institute, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Center for Research Resources
Awards: G1300984159, G1339403715, G2043477120, G2268269956, G275963511, G3261387758, G3269002440, G3272792225, G338527938, G3433274139, G344109072, G4416941928, G454225982, G5338990163, G5526428480, G563474107, G5853943267, G6219794387, G6297262231, G6569741389, The Vanderbilt Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (VICTR) UL1, G7029265662, G7220527126, G7375918262, G7520984233, VANTAGE:Consolidation to create the Vanderbilt Technologies for Advanced Genomics, G7642566612, Single cell molecular analysis of influenza vaccine responses in elderly individuals, G8658404038, G8953775245, G9000060478, G9000076948, G9000081609, G9000089795, G9000300101, Molecular and Cellular Basis for Digestive Diseases, Cancer Center Support Grant, Core Grant in Vision Research
OpenAlex ID: W4410122691