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Supercentenarians, people who have reached 110 y of age, are a great model of healthy aging. Their characteristics of delayed onset of age-related diseases and compression of morbidity imply that their immune system remains functional. Here we performed single-cell transcriptome analysis of 61,202 peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), derived from 7 supercentenarians and 5 younger controls. We identified a marked increase of cytotoxic CD4 T cells (CD4 cytotoxic T lymphocytes [CTLs]) as a signature of supercentenarians. Furthermore, single-cell T cell receptor sequencing of 2 supercentenarians revealed that CD4 CTLs had accumulated through massive clonal expansion, with the most frequent clonotypes accounting for 15 to 35% of the entire CD4 T cell population. The CD4 CTLs exhibited substantial heterogeneity in their degree of cytotoxicity as well as a nearly identical transcriptome to that of CD8 CTLs. This indicates that CD4 CTLs utilize the transcriptional program of the CD8 lineage while retaining CD4 expression. Indeed, CD4 CTLs extracted from supercentenarians produced IFN-γ and TNF-α upon ex vivo stimulation. Our study reveals that supercentenarians have unique characteristics in their circulating lymphocytes, which may represent an essential adaptation to achieve exceptional longevity by sustaining immune responses to infections and diseases.

More than fifty extraordinary Americans, who have all celebrated their one hundredth birthday, share a century of insights. Paul Mobley has taken his camera on the road once again, this time to photograph America's oldest and wisest citizens. Mobley traveled to all fifty states to find these indomitable, extraordinary centenarians. In this inspiring collection of intimate and powerful portraits, direct quotes, and personal stories, we learn that wisdom is the reward for perseverance. The centenarians in Mobley's stunning portfolio are eyewitnesses to a century dominated by world wars and conflicts, space travel, and cultural and digital revolutions. Their stories are inspirational, educational, and deeply touching. In them, we are reminded that love, loss, hope, and grief are essential ingredients in a full life and that humor can get us through the worst of times. Mobley's heartfelt portraits are a beautiful tribute to this unique assemblage of Americans. There are more than 70,000 centenarians in the United States alone. Each of them has touched others with their gift of long lives. This book is a celebration of this generation and an inspiration to the rest of us. -- Amazon.com.

Background The growing population of centenarians faces unique health challenges. Of particular interest may be the co-occurrence of depressive symptoms and functional dependence, requiring comprehensive exploration. Objective To map and summarize existing literature on depressive symptoms and functional dependence in near-centenarians and centenarians, focusing on prevalence rates, screening instruments, and the relationship between these two conditions. Inclusion criteria Studies that explored depressive symptoms and functional dependence among individuals aged ≥ 95 years. Methods This review was performed in accordance with the JBI Manual for Scoping Reviews. The PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) standards were followed for reporting. The literature search was conducted in August 2023 in the following bibliographic databases: Embase.com, Medline ALL Ovid, CINAHL with Full Text, APA PsycInfo Ovid, Web of Science Core Collection, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials; including a grey literature search and citation tracking strategies. Results Fifty-three studies from 1994 to 2023 were included, with 28.3% conducted in the USA. Most studies were quantitative and cross-sectional. Depressive symptom prevalence ranged from 10.5% to 73% among studies reported individually; the GDS–15 was the most commonly used instrument. Total functional dependence ranged from 20.8% to 30.3% (ADLs) and 27.5% to 63% (IADLs); the OARS Multidimensional Functional Assessment Questionnaire and the Katz Index were the most frequently employed instruments. Only 30.2% of studies explored the association between depressive symptoms and functional dependence, with 56.3% finding a significant relationship. Conclusions The findings revealed geographical research disparities and underscored the need for diverse research methodologies for deeper insights into the health trajectories of the very old. Additionally, centenarians may not inherently have higher depressive symptoms than ‘younger’ seniors, suggesting possible resilience mechanisms. The relationship between depressive symptoms and functional dependence highlighted their mutual influence and potential to increase the risk of adverse outcomes. Implications Diversifying research methodologies and expanding geographical scope are essential for a holistic understanding and international comparisons. Standardized guidelines for assessment instruments could facilitate consistent conclusions. Development and implementation of multifaceted interventions, such as preventive measures, professional competency enhancement, and caregiver support are central to addressing the needs of this population effectively.

While many diseases of aging have been linked to the immunological system, immune metrics capable of identifying the most at-risk individuals are lacking. From the blood immunome of 1,001 individuals aged 8-96 years, we developed a deep-learning method based on patterns of systemic age-related inflammation. The resulting inflammatory clock of aging (iAge) tracked with multimorbidity, immunosenescence, frailty and cardiovascular aging, and is also associated with exceptional longevity in centenarians. The strongest contributor to iAge was the chemokine CXCL9, which was involved in cardiac aging, adverse cardiac remodeling and poor vascular function. Furthermore, aging endothelial cells in human and mice show loss of function, cellular senescence and hallmark phenotypes of arterial stiffness, all of which are reversed by silencing CXCL9. In conclusion, we identify a key role of CXCL9 in age-related chronic inflammation and derive a metric for multimorbidity that can be utilized for the early detection of age-related clinical phenotypes.

Confined to a nursing home and about to turn 100, Allan Karlsson, who has a larger-than-life back story as an explosives expert, climbs out the window in his slippers and embarks on an unforgettable adventure involving thugs, a murderous elephant and a very friendly hot dog stand operator.

Deaths at very advanced ages have increased considerably in the last two decades. The exact number of such deaths documented in the International Database on Longevity IDL is established only after a strict age validation process. The vast majority of people who attain these exceptional ages are women. Supercentenarians (aged 110 or above) are over-represented in Guadeloupe and Martinique.

\"A picture book biography sharing the inspiring and incredible true story of the nation's oldest student, Mary Walker, who learned to read at the age of 116\"-- Provided by publisher.

The immune system is the most important protective physiological system of the organism. It has many connections with other systems and is, in fact, often considered as part of the larger neuro-endocrine-immune axis. Most experimental data on immune changes with aging show a decline in many immune parameters when compared to young healthy subjects. The bulk of these changes is termed immunosenescence. Immunosenescence has been considered for some time as detrimental because it often leads to subclinical accumulation of pro-inflammatory factors and inflamm-aging. Together, immunosenescence and inflamm-aging are suggested to stand at the origin of most of the diseases of the elderly, such as infections, cancer, autoimmune disorders, and chronic inflammatory diseases. However, an increasing number of immune-gerontologists have challenged this negative interpretation of immunosenescence with respect to its significance in aging-related alterations of the immune system. If one considers these changes from an evolutionary perspective, they can be viewed preferably as adaptive or remodeling rather than solely detrimental. Whereas it is conceivable that global immune changes may lead to various diseases, it is also obvious that these changes may be needed for extended survival/longevity. Recent cumulative data suggest that, without the existence of the immunosenescence/inflamm-aging duo (representing two sides of the same phenomenon), human longevity would be greatly shortened. This review summarizes recent data on the dynamic reassessment of immune changes with aging. Accordingly, attempts to intervene on the aging immune system by targeting its rejuvenation, it may be more suitable to aim to maintain general homeostasis and function by appropriately improving immune-inflammatory-functions.