Researchers at UT Health San Antonio define immune resilience as the capacity to balance inflammation and immune defense, stratifying over 17,000 participants into preservers, reconstituters, or degraders based on T-cell markers and TCF7 expression. Their analysis reveals a significant survival advantage linked to robust immune profiles.

Key points

• Classified ~17,500 individuals into IR-preservers, reconstituters, and degraders using CD4/CD8 ratios
• Identified SAS-1 and MAS-1 molecular signatures via transcriptomic and proteomic profiling
• Demonstrated TCF7 transcription factor’s central role in maintaining T-cell multipotency and survival
• Found up to 15-year survival advantage for high-resilience individuals aged 40–70
• Highlighted midlife (40–70 years) as a critical intervention window for preserving immune resilience

Why it matters: This research reframes aging trajectories by positioning immune resilience as a modifiable determinant of longevity. By identifying TCF7 and molecular signatures linked to survival, it opens avenues for targeted interventions to preserve immune function and mitigate age-associated mortality risk.