While older age has been associated with an increased risk of SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for Covid-19, a new study has revealed that the lungs of young adults are more susceptible to the virus.
The study, which was posted on a preprint website and has not yet undergone peer review, showed that the lungs of older individuals are less susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 and flu virus replication compared to the young.
“In contrast to SARS-CoV-2, flu viruses replicate more efficiently in human alveolar cells, leading to stronger innate immune responses,” Dr Vipin M. Vashishtha, a member of WHO’s Vaccine Safety Net, said in a post on X.
“These findings indicate that the elderly are not more susceptible to respiratory virus infection than young people as a rational of elevated risk for severe disease by local viral replication only, but points towards other mechanisms such as immune-mediated pathogenesis,” he explained.
In the study, researchers from the University of Bern in Switzerland evaluated the influence of lung ageing on the efficiency of replication of influenza A virus (IAV) and SARS-CoV-2, as well as determined the pro-inflammatory and antiviral responses of the distal lung tissue.
Using precision-cut lung slices (PCLS) technology, used for respiratory research, from donors of different ages, and found that influenza viruses H1N1 and H5N1 replicated in the lung parenchyma with high efficacy.
Conversely, SARS-CoV-2 wild-type and delta variants replicated less efficiently.
While SARS-CoV-2 infection was not causing detectable cell death, influenza virus infection “caused significant cytotoxicity and induced significant early interferon responses,” the researchers said.
“These findings suggest that aged lung tissue might not favour viral dissemination, pointing to a determinant role of dysregulated immune mechanisms in the development of severe disease,” they said.
New immunotherapy to fight cancer, keep healthy cells safe
A team of US researchers has developed a new immunotherapy technique that uses cytokine proteins as a potential treatment, effectively targeting tumours without causing harm to healthy cells.
Why excess sugar, oil are as dangerous for liver as alcohol
While alcohol is known to be bad for liver health, consuming foods rich in sugar and oil may be equally dangerous for the organ as well as for overall health, said doctors on Thursday, ahead of World Liver Day.
This vaccine helped over 50 pc of people remain UTI-free for years
More than 50 per cent of people remained Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)-free for up to nine years who received the oral spray-based vaccine 'MV140', a new study has said.
Become custodian of your health, do annual checkups: Cardiologist Devi Shetty
On the occasion of World Health Day, top cardiologist Devi Shetty on Sunday advised people to become custodians of their health and take preventive health checkups every year.
Congress in Tripura blocks rail stations to protest police fired-killing of 5 farmers in MP
The firing on Tuesday came during raucous protests to demand better crop prices in the drought-ravaged region that saw one farmer suicide every five hours in the past two years.
DMs, SPs of violence-hit MP districts transferred
The farmers agitation entered its eighth day on Thursday. The peasants have been on strike since June 1, demanding loan waiver and fair price for their produce.
Indian American selected among 12 NASA astronaut candidates
He continued on to earn a master's degree in aeronautics and astronautics from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and graduated from the US Naval Test Pilot School.
World's oldest human species' fossils found in Morocco
The institute said the remains of the Homo sapiens, which were found in a remote village called Jbel Irhoud, date back to over 300,000 years ago, Xinhua reported.