American scientists from the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) have found a new direction to increase life expectancy. A study published in the journal Cell shows that removing old cells by influencing immune responses triggered by cytomegalovirus restores healthy tissue function and promotes longevity.

In the course of the work, the authors analyzed skin samples of young and old people in order to study the mechanisms for removing aging cells from human tissues. The analysis showed that older subjects had more senescent cells than younger skin samples. At the same time, in such people, the number of senescent cells did not increase with age, which suggests the presence of some kind of control mechanism.

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Further experiments revealed that certain immune cells, CD4+ T-killer cells, are responsible for the regulation. This is due to the expression of a protein produced by human cytomegalovirus, a common herpes virus that causes a lifelong latent infection in most people without any symptoms. That is, in the process of evolution, immune responses to human cytomegalovirus began to help maintain the balance of aging organs.

The discovery illustrates the useful function of viruses living in the human body. This knowledge can also be used to develop new therapeutic approaches to eliminate senescent cells (in cancer, fibrosis and degenerative diseases) by enhancing the antiviral immune response. In addition, the findings of the work can be applied in cosmetic dermatology, for example, to create treatments that allow the skin to look younger.