Rewired type I IFN signaling is linked to age-dependent differences in COVID-19.
cross_sectional · Level IV
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 40834853.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1016/j.xcrm.2025.102285 and PMC identifier 12432374.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Advanced age is the most important risk factor for severe disease or death from COVID-19, but a thorough mechanistic understanding of the molecular and cellular underpinnings is lacking. Multi-omics analysis of 164 samples from SARS-CoV-2-infected persons aged 1 to 84 years reveals a rewiring of type I interferon (IFN) signaling with a gradual shift from signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) to STAT3 activation in monocytes, CD4<sup>+</sup> T cells, and B cells with increasing age. Diversion of IFN signaling is associated with increased expression of inflammatory markers, enhanced release of inflammatory cytokines, and delayed contraction of infection-induced CD4<sup>+</sup> T cells. A shift from IFN-responsive germinal center B (GCB) cells toward CD69<sup>high</sup> GCB and atypical B cells during aging correlates with immunoglobulin (Ig)A production in children, whereas complement-fixing IgG predominates in adults. Our data provide a mechanistic basis for inflammation-prone responses to infections and associated pathology during aging.
Medical subject headings
- Interferon Type I
- COVID-19
- Signal Transduction
- Aging