FIGURE 2.

Biological Aging as a Modifiable Risk Factor for Declines in Immune Resilience Upon Challenge with Novel or Altered Pathogen. (A) When a resilient immune system is confronted by a novel pathogen such as SARS-CoV-2 virus, it is able to mount a robust primary immune response with rapid and complete clearing of the virus and associated infection resulting in function remaining unaltered or rapidly returning back to baseline (blue). (B) Advanced age, especially when accompanied by presence of multiple chronic conditions and/or frailty augment biological aging mechanisms contributing to diminished immune defenses. In the face of increased stressor (greater virus virulence, quantity or length of exposure) and/or diminished immune defenses, resilience mechanisms may be overwhelmed resulting in death (red stippled line) or in a delayed (red) or incomplete return to baseline health and function. (C) Vaccine and antiviral drugs offer protection that is typically pathogen-specific. In contrast, geroprotectors that provide the opportunity to boost immune responses by overcoming aging-related declines via geroscience-guided therapies may offer benefits irrespective of the type of pathogen involved.