Explore the vast range of titles available.

Frailty and multimorbidity are closely intertwined syndromes of later life, yet they are still commonly interpreted through parallel clinical frameworks rather than a shared biological mechanism. In this mini review, we propose that immunosenescence provides a unifying axis linking the transition from frailty to multimorbidity. Rather than representing a simple decline in immune function, immunosenescence is better understood as a maladaptive remodeling process characterized by constrained adaptive immune renewal, repertoire narrowing, chronic low-grade inflammation, impaired immune surveillance, and defective resolution and repair. We argue that these changes erode physiological reserve through convergent effects on skeletal muscle maintenance and regeneration, metabolic flexibility, neuroendocrine stress adaptation, and recovery after physiological perturbation, thereby promoting the emergence of frailty. The same immune alterations may then lower the threshold for parallel tissue-specific injury across cardiovascular, metabolic, neural, skeletal, and other systems, favoring non-random disease clustering and the development of multimorbidity. Once multimorbidity is established, disease-derived inflammatory and metabolic stressors may further accelerate immune dysregulation, creating a self-reinforcing cycle of vulnerability. We also highlight translational implications of this framework, including the need to move beyond single inflammatory markers toward integrated immune-ageing signatures and to test pathway-aligned interventions such as lifestyle optimization, vaccination strategies, immune tuning, and selected senescence-targeting approaches. A mechanistically grounded immunosenescence framework may help reorient late-life care toward preserving resilience and slowing chronic disease accumulation.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2026.1810241.].

To explore and illuminate the post-traumatic growth experience among family caregivers of people with dementia. Descriptive qualitative research was conducted using purposive sampling. Between June and October 2024, 19 family caregivers of dementia patients were selected from an outpatient clinic for memory disorders and a mental health center in Shanghai. The NVivo 20.0 software was used to organize and code the interview data, and the data were analyzed and thematically condensed using the directed content analysis method. Four themes were identified, along with eleven sub-themes associated with them: cognitive-behavioral shift (transitioning family roles, recognizing disease characteristics, focusing on health management, and responding positively and effectively); personal strength enhancement (enhancing coping capacity, increased psychological resilience and increased responsibility); improved relationships with others (harmonizing in family relations and benefiting from social interactions); and changes in life perceptions (reshaping of values, and reconstructing the meaning of life). Family caregivers of people with dementia experience multifaceted post-traumatic growth after a traumatic event of disease diagnosis and patient caregiving. It is necessary to focus on positive psychological resources for family caregivers to improve the burden of caregiving. Future research should take measures to promote family caregivers' positive perceptions, explore their own potential and strengths, and help them make full use of family and social support to enhance their post-traumatic growth.

Background Frailty is a significant concern among hospitalized older adults, influenced by multiple factors. Understanding the complex interactions between these variables can be facilitated through a network perspective. Aim This study aimed to identify the core factor and physiological indicator of frailty in hospitalized elderly patients and visualize their interactions within the network structure. Methods Frailty was assessed using the Tilburg Frailty Indicators, with a score of 5 or higher indicating frailty. Additional variables related to sociodemographic, physical and clinical, psychological and cognitive aspects, as well as physiological indicators, were extracted from electronic health records. A partial correlation network analysis was conducted using an adaptive LASSO algorithm, based on univariate correlation and logistic regression, to examine the network structure and identify influential nodes. Results The average age of participants was 70.74 ± 7.52 years, with 24.27% classified as frail. Frailty was associated with 38 of 145 initially included variables ( P  < 0.05). The network analysis revealed depression as the most central node, followed by drugs used, sleep disorders, loneliness, masticatory obstacles, drinking, and number of teeth missing. Hemoglobin emerged as the most central biochemical indicator in the network, based on network center index analysis (Strength = 4.858, Betweenness = 223, Closeness = 0.034). Conclusions Frailty in hospitalized older adults is influenced by various social, physical, and psychological factors, with depression as the core factor of utmost importance. Changes in hemoglobin levels could serve as an essential indicator. This innovative network approach provides insights into the multidimensional structure and relationships in real-world settings.

Increasing evidence suggests that dysregulated immune responses are associated with the clinical outcome of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Nucleocapsid protein (NP)-, spike (S)-, receptor binding domain (RBD)- specific immunoglobulin (Ig) isotypes, IgG subclasses and neutralizing antibody (NAb) were analyzed in 123 serum from 63 hospitalized patients with severe, moderate, mild or asymptomatic COVID-19. Mild to modest correlations were found between disease severity and antigen specific IgG subclasses in serum, of which IgG1 and IgG3 were negatively associated with viral load in nasopharyngeal swab. Multiple cytokines were significantly related with antigen-specific Ig isotypes and IgG subclasses, and IL-1β was positively correlated with most antibodies. Furthermore, the old patients (≥ 60 years old) had higher levels of chemokines, increased NAb activities and SARS-CoV-2 specific IgG1, and IgG3 responses and compromised T cell responses compared to the young patients (≤ 18 years old), which are related with more severe cases. Higher IgG1 and IgG3 were found in COVID-19 patients with comorbidities while biological sex had no effect on IgG subclasses. Overall, we have identified diseases severity was related to higher antibodies, of which IgG subclasses had weakly negative correlation with viral load, and cytokines were significantly associated with antibody response. Further, advancing age and comorbidities had obvious effect on IgG1 and IgG3.

The different effects of ethanol on insulin sensitivity may be due to complex reasons. Here, we focus on the various daily ethanol consumption frequencies in rats fed a high-fat (HF) diet and explore the possible mechanism mediated by adiponectin and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). A total of thirty-six male Wistar rats were fed a HF diet and were randomly divided into three groups: those that received tap water (C); those that received ethanol via a gastric tube twice per d (E1); those that received free access to ethanol for drinking (E2). The total daily ethanol dosage in groups E1 and E2 were the same (5 g/kg per d). At the end of 18 weeks, insulin sensitivity was evaluated. Adiponectin AMPK and GLUT4 levels were determined. We found that the different administration frequencies led to markedly different plasma ethanol concentrations and there were intimate relationships between plasma ethanol concentration and insulin sensitivity. Insulin resistance was markedly improved in group E1, whereas only a slight improvement was observed in group E2. Accordingly, adiponectin, phosphorylated AMPK and GLUT4 levels were significantly increased in group E1. Based on these findings, we propose that ethanol concentration might be the major influencing factor mediating the effect of ethanol on insulin sensitivity. At a total daily dosage of 5 g/kg per d, twice daily administration of ethanol was more beneficial than continuous drinking. The protective effect of ethanol might be mediated by increased adiponectin levels, which subsequently improve the activation of AMPKα and GLUT4 expression in adipose tissue.