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Aging Research in Immunology: Satellite to 2006 European Congress of Immunology
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abstract
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Worldwide, the segment of the population aged 60 or greater is increasing rapidly. Increased life expectancy, combined with three decades of falling birth rates will raise the proportion of the population aged 60 and over from 21% today to 34% in 2050. As the ratio of retired people to those of working age increases, ageing will present a huge economic challenge to the healthcare and social safety nets. Both policymakers and practitioners rely heavily upon research to extend understanding of aging's genetic, biological and psychological processes, to develop new medicines and technologies for the aged, and to substantially improve the life quality of this segment of the population. Although every organ system must be considered in the context of ageing, age-related changes in the function of the immune system are recognized as especially important determinants of morbidity and mortality in old age. Both the frequent occurrence and the severity of influenza such as H5N1 avian flu. In addition, dysregulation of the immune system leads to chronic and ubiquitous inflammatory disease in old age. Prevention and mitigation of the social and economic impact of unhealthy aging can be achieved only by advancing progress in our understanding the process of immunologic aging, towards development of therapeutic interventions that improve quality of life. The aging of our population is imposing an increasing burden on our social and economic infrastructure. To mitigate this impact it is critical that we develop strategies to improve the quality of life of this segment of our population. One potential avenue of intervention lies in increasing the immune function of aged individuals to reduce their susceptibility to infectious diseases and cancer. Here we request support for a joint conference of European and American experts in the immunology of aging. This conference, the first of its kind, will enhance progress by promoting new collaborations exchange of new data and training of scientists who wish to enter this field of research.
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