Dysregulated Anti-Viral Innate Immune Cascade During Aging

Abstract

Aging predisposes to increased morbidity and lethality to infectious diseases, which becomes apparent with the high mortality rates suffered by older people when infected with influenza virus or severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). At the root of this increased susceptibility to infections, is the wide-spread deterioration of the immune system.