Inflammaging in the Lung: Dissecting the Impact of Aging on pulmonary vs. circulatory factors
Aging leads to chronic systemic inflammation ("inflammaging") and reduced immune responsiveness, making the lung more vulnerable to infections. It remains unclear whether lung inflammaging is driven by age-related changes in resident lung factors or systemic immune cells. To address this, Dr. Nia developed two innovative models: (1) the transparent crystal ribcage, enabling real-time imaging of immune activity in a functional lung, and (2) long-term cross-circulation, where blood exchange between young and old mice allows selective aging of resident or systemic factors. These models help dissect how lung microenvironment changes, including capillary structure and resident immunity, contribute to chronic inflammation. Dr. Nia hypothesizes that resident lung factors play a dominant role over systemic ones. Through controlled cross-circulation and real-time imaging, he will evaluate their respective contributions, aiming to identify targeted therapeutic strategies to mitigate age-related lung inflammation.
