Immune Aging and Inflammaging: Mechanisms, Biomarkers, and Therapeutic Targets

Aging is accompanied by progressive alterations in immune function, collectively known as immunosenescence, and a persistent state of low-grade chronic inflammation, termed inflammaging, which contributes to frailty and the development of cardiovascular, neurodegenerative, metabolic, musculoskeletal, and malignant diseases. Recent advances in single-cell technologies, multi-omics, and systems immunology have transformed our understanding of immune aging, yet important gaps remain in identifying robust biomarkers, elucidating tissue-specific immune mechanisms, and translating discoveries into effective interventions.

The goal of this Special Issue is to address the growing challenge of age-related immune dysfunction and chronic inflammation (inflammaging), which contribute substantially to functional decline and the development of multiple age-associated diseases. Despite major advances in understanding immunosenescence, cellular senescence, and inflammatory pathways, critical gaps remain in identifying reliable biomarkers, defining tissue- and cell-specific mechanisms, understanding interactions among different hallmarks of aging, and translating mechanistic discoveries into effective interventions. This Special Issue aims to bring together basic, translational, and clinical research to clarify these mechanisms and identify actionable therapeutic targets. Particular emphasis will be placed on cellular senescence and SASP, immune surveillance, telomere dysfunction, mitochondrial and metabolic alterations, stem cell aging, microbiome-immune interactions, multi-omics and single-cell technologies, biomarkers of biological aging, and emerging senolytic, senomorphic, immunomodulatory, and regenerative interventions. By integrating multidisciplinary perspectives, the issue seeks to advance strategies that reduce chronic inflammation, restore immune resilience, prevent or delay age-related diseases, and ultimately extend healthy lifespan.

This Special Issue welcomes original research and comprehensive reviews on immunosenescence, inflammaging, innate and adaptive immune dysfunction, cellular senescence-immune interactions, immune metabolism, microbiome-immune crosstalk, biomarkers of immune aging, artificial intelligence and multi-omics approaches, and emerging therapeutic strategies-including senotherapeutics, immune modulation, regenerative medicine, and precision geroscience-to promote healthy aging and increase health span.

Article types and fees

This Issue accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Issue description:

• Brief Communication
• Commentary
• Mini Review
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Issue accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Issue description:

• Brief Communication
• Commentary
• Mini Review
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review

Keywords: Inflammaging, Cellular senescence, immune metabolism, microbiome-immune crosstalk, senotherapeutics, regenerative medicine