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A new study by Kennedy Institute's Professor Katja Simon, and colleagues published in Molecular Cell shows that spermidine, a naturally occurring metabolite found in most human cell types, boosts antibody production in both old mice and immune cells from the elderly.

The findings may offer an approach for improved vaccination strategies for older people who are less responsive to vaccines and more vulnerable to infection.

The team found that spermidine kick-starts the immune system through autophagy, a cellular recycling pathway that declines as cells age.

Read more (Kennedy Institute website)