Investigating the impact of age-related chronic inflammation and epigenetic alterations on monocyte function

Abstract

Chronic inflammation and a global reduction in DNA methylation are causes of immune system dysfunction with aging. Monocytes, a type of white blood cell essential for immune defence, have been shown to be particularly susceptible. This study investigates how chronic inflammation (i.e. pre-exposure with interleukin-6 (IL-6)) and hypomethylation (i.e. 5- Azacitidine (AZA) treatment) impair monocyte functionality. Our data shows that 72 hours of IL-6 stimulation at 1 ng/mL suppresses pro-inflammatory cytokine production, whereas 5- Azacitidine treatment alone enhances it. Remarkably, combined IL-6 and 5-Azacitidine exposure results in an even further increase in cytokine secretion, mirroring immune dysfunction and elevated chronic inflammation seen in older adults. By investigating the impact of chronic inflammation and hypomethylation on monocyte function, this research will enhance our understanding of immune deregulation in aging and facilitate the development of new therapeutic interventions to improve immune responses in older adults.