Effects of aging on the differentiation and proliferation potentials of cells of the immune system.

An attempt has been made here to show that the immune system can begin to decline in function shortly after an individual reaches maturity. The decline is due in part to changes in the environment of the cells but primarily to changes in the precursor cells of the system. This is reflected in their inability to proliferate and possibly differentiate efficiently. These findings show that the immune system can serve as an excellent model to study how aging can perturb the process of cells undergoing proliferation and differentiation.