Events

This special seminar presented by the Australian Society of Microbiology, will hear from Professor Alan Landy, Professor in the Departments of Internal Medicine and Microbial Pathogens and Immunity and Assistant Provost for Team Science at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. Professor Landy will speak on Ageing and the immune system – a dangerous liaison.

The immune system has been shown to be significantly impacted during the ageing process. There is the expansion of senescent cells from both the innate and adaptive arms of the immune system as well as shortening of telomeres. As the host ages there is an increase in production of inflammatory cytokines that has been termed “inflammaging”.

The  drivers of this inflammatory process have been shown to be due to changes in the host microbiome leading to alterations in gut integrity and release of microbial translocation products into the systemic circulation. The results of these immune changes have been linked to the development of non communicable diseases especially cardiovascular disease and alterations in vaccine responses in older individuals. There are now new classes of therapies  known as senolytics that can be used to improve the functional declines  of ageing. Alan Landay is Professor of Internal Medicine at Rush University in Chicago.

Professor Landay’s visit to Australia has been made possible through the kind assistance provided by the Australian Society for  Microbiology (ASM)