Immunoglobulin G And Aging: Biological Functions And Its Crosstalk With The Gut Microbiota
As we age, our bodies experience a gradual decline in overall health, often accompanied by persistent, low-grade inflammation. A crucial player in our immune system, a type of antibody called Immunoglobulin G (IgG), undergoes significant transformations during this process. These changes primarily involve the sugar molecules attached to IgG, a process known as “glycosylation.” Think of glycosylation as adding specific decorations to the IgG molecule; with age, these decorations shift in a way that makes IgG more prone to triggering inflammatory responses.
This age-related shift in IgG’s structure contributes to what scientists call “inflammaging,” a chronic inflammatory state linked to many age-related conditions. Interestingly, our gut bacteria, collectively known as the gut microbiota, play a vital role in shaping how IgG functions. As we get older, the composition and balance of these gut microbes can change, disrupting this important communication pathway between IgG and the gut. This disruption further contributes to altered immune responses and systemic inflammation throughout the body.
Understanding these intricate changes in IgG and its dynamic relationship with our gut microbiota offers exciting possibilities. It suggests new avenues for developing tools to assess our biological age more accurately and, more importantly, for creating targeted interventions to promote healthier aging by modulating our immune system and gut health.
Source: link to paper