A new study from University of California, Irvine reveals how to rejuvenate the immune system of elderly people and reduce their risk of infectious disease. Research results identify the reason why older adults are significantly more susceptible to infectious diseases. A new study, led by researchers from the University of California, Irvine (UCI), identifies a reason why older adults are substantially more susceptible to infectious diseases than younger people, a critical societal concern highlighted most recently by the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings of the study also pave the path for new potential therapeutic targets to regenerate the immune system in older adults, lowering their risk of infectious disease. "Through this study, we have gained a new understanding of why older adults are more susceptible to infectious diseases, which will enable us to identify potential new treatments," said senior author Michael Demetriou, MD, PhD, a professor of neurology at the UCI Sch