A study reveals a “protein fingerprint” in the blood that predicts healthy aging years earlier

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Scientists have revealed a "protein fingerprint" in the blood that may help predict the extent to which people will enjoy healthy aging in the future, by measuring the balance between certain types of immune cells and the proteins they produce, according to what was published by Live Science.

The results indicate that the course of aging is not the same for all people, even those born on the same day, with some maintaining good health for longer periods while others are more susceptible to developing chronic diseases associated with aging.

The immune system of young people contains large numbers of “naive” T cells, which transform with exposure to infections or vaccines into memory cells capable of quickly identifying pathogens. These cells produce proteins known as granzymes, the most prominent of which are granzyme K and granzyme B, which help eliminate infected cells.

In a study published in the journal Immunity, researchers found that people who have a certain balance between the cells producing these two proteins tend to enjoy better health as they age. Maxim Artyomov, an immunologist at the University of Washington and one of the study participants, said that this balance may be used in the future as an indicator to determine whether a person is moving towards healthy aging or not.

The research team had previously observed the accumulation of granzyme K-producing cells in the tissues of elderly mice, and also noted an increase in its levels in the elderly. In the new study, researchers tried to understand the relationship between it and the cells that produce granzyme B.

The first phase included analyzing the immune cells of more than 2,600 people between the ages of 18 and 97 years. The results showed that an imbalance between the cells producing the two proteins was associated with an increased risk of developing autoimmune diseases and some chronic immune disorders.

The researchers also analyzed blood samples and immune cells from 329 people, and were able to identify a “protein fingerprint” linked to the levels of granzyme B-producing cells. They then looked for this fingerprint in about 48,000 participants in the British Biobank.

Follow-up extending for about 17 years showed that people whose blood samples carried this fingerprint were more likely to die and develop diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and liver and kidney diseases, which indicates that certain characteristics of the immune system may be linked to long-term health risks.

Independent experts described the results as promising, as they may reveal new biological mechanisms linked to aging.

However, the researchers stressed that the study showed a strong association between these immune indicators and health status, but it does not prove that these changes are the direct cause of deteriorating health. They stressed the need for further studies to determine whether these cells actually contribute to the occurrence of diseases or are merely a reflection of them.