Key enzyme in lipid metabolism linked to immune system aging (DHA)

Our immune systems weaken as we get older, making fewer cells that fight infection and help us recover from illness and injury. Crews' lab has found that decreased function of an enzyme called ELOVL2 (short for "elongation of very long chain fatty acids-like 2") speeds up immune system changes associated with aging. ELOVL2 plays a critical role in synthesizing certain types of lipids (fatty compounds), and its abundance is known to decline with age. Inadequate ELOVL2 changes the balance of lipids in cells, impairing the development of B cells, the lymphocytes (white blood cells) responsible for making antibodies to fight...