Assistant Professor Susmit Suvas Studies the Immune System

Our immune system fights off viral infections, such as the H1N1 influenza virus that is responsible for the current swine flu pandemic. At the heart of the immune system is a type of white blood cell, known as "T cells". CBR member Susmit Suvas, of the Department of Biological Sciences, and his team study how T cell function changes with age. In the October 2009 issue of Mechanisms of Ageing and Development (Volume 130, Pages 709-712), they published a paper describing how Advancing Age Leads to Predominance of Inhibitory Receptor Expressing CD4 T Cells. There are several types of T cells, and those known as CD4 T cells help other white blood cells (B cells) fight off infection. Suvas says that a "decline in CD4 T cell function is the hallmark of aging." His team discovered that with advancing age the amount or expression of inhibitory receptors, such as PD-1, ICOS and CTLA-4 (all molecules that inhibit T cell function), on CD4 T cells increases. He believes that "a better understanding of the factors that underlie the age-associated defects in CD4 T cells is needed to develop strategies to boost immunity in elderly." In particular, he thinks that the age-related increase in the inhibitory receptors on a CD4 T cell impairs the function of this particular immune cell type and makes elderly individuals more susceptible to viral infections such as the influenza virus. Suvas coauthored this paper with a group of outstanding OU graduate students who he mentors. Lead authors Rudragouda Channappanavar and Brandon Twardy are each working towards a PhD in Biomedical Sciences: Biological Communication. Their research was supported by funds from American Federation for Aging Research.