Cancer ResearchSupercentenarians Pack Unusual Killer Immune Cells That May Fight Cancer and Age
Researchers studying people aged 110 and older found they carry unusually high levels of a rare immune cell type called CD4 cytotoxic T lymphocytes. These cells, known to kill tumor cells, made up nearly 18% of the T cell population in supercentenarians — compared to just 4% in adults aged 70–99. The cells also showed signs of clonal expansion, meaning the immune system was repeatedly responding to ongoing threats. Remarkably, receptor sequences from these dominant immune clones matched those found in cancer patients, suggesting supercentenarians may be silently fighting off early cancer activity. The findings point to an immune system that does not simply decline with age but may actively adapt, offering new clues about what separates the longest-lived people from the rest.
