Diagnostic Markers in Chronic Immune Disorders

Inflammageing is the process of low-grade inflammation that accumulates as we age.

A by-product of inflammageing is the accumulation of an unusual B cell called age-associated B cells, which are quite prominent in the elderly. However, the production of age-associated B cells is rapidly accelerated in immunocompromised individuals - patients with primary immunodeficiency, for instance, or individuals with autoimmune disease or cancer.

What we understand is that the frequency of age-associated B cells is higher in females than males and this is best reflected in disease severity being quite prominent in females.

It's currently unknown what triggers the development of age-associated B cells, but our preliminary evidence indicates that a soluble factor called the cytokine is responsible for triggering the development of age associated B cells, which in turn secrete factors contributing to multi-organ immune-mediated damage.

In this study, we plan to identify the responsible cytokine and use cytokine-specific antibody-mediated therapy that will diminish the cytokine levels, reduce the production of age-associated B cells, and ultimately attenuate chronic inflammatory-mediated disease. Thank you. End of transcript.