50th Anniversary - French Society for connective tissue research The role of elastin peptides in modulating the immune response in aging and age-related diseases Roˆle des peptides d’e ´lastine dans la modulation de la re ´ponse immune dans le vieillissement et des maladies associe ´es T. Fulop a, *, A. Khalil a , A. Larbi b a Research center on Aging, University of Sherbrooke, 1036, rue Belvedere sud, Sherbrooke, Qc, J1H 4C4, Canada b Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN), Biopolis, A*STAR, Singapore 1. Introduction It is now well accepted that aging is associated with the occurrence of a low-grade inflammation called Inflamm-aging [1,2]. There is still a debate of what is the exact cause underlying Pathologie Biologie 60 (2012) 28–33 A R T I C L E I N F O Article history: Received 25 August 2011 Accepted 16 September 2011 Available online 17 November 2011 Keywords: Elastin peptides Immunosenescence Inflamm-aging Innate and adaptive immune response Aging Atherosclerosis Mots cle ´s: Peptides d’e ´ lastine Immunosenescence Inflamm-aging Re ´ ponse immunitaire inne ´e et acquise Vieillissement Athe ´ roscle ´ rose A B S T R A C T It is now well accepted that aging is associated with the occurrence of a low-grade inflammation called Inflamm-aging. This leads to the imbalance between the various mediators of the inflammatory response in favour of the pro-inflammatory response represented by pro-inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress. The question that arises, and is still under investigation, what is the origin of the driving force leading to these changes. One of the current hypotheses is that chronic stimulation of the immune system contributes to the pro-inflammatory shift. The chronic stimulation can be of viral origin such as cytomegalovirus, from tumor antigens or from other sources such as the extracellular matrix, especially from elastin fibres and collagens. Aging and various inflammatory diseases such as atherosclerosis, abdominal aortic aneurysms, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD), cancer and type 2 diabetes are characterized by the destruction of elastin fibers and the consequent generation of elastin peptides which are biologically active. This review will describe the putative contribution of elastin peptides to inflamm-aging and extend on their role on immunosenescence, as well as on age-associated chronic inflammatory diseases. ß 2011 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved. R E ´ S U M E ´ Il est connu que le vieillissement est associe ´ avec un e ´ tat d’inflammation a ` bas bruit appele ´ inflamm- aging. Cela conduit a ` un de ´ se ´ quilibre entre les diffe ´ rents me ´ diateurs de la re ´ ponse inflammatoire en faveur de la re ´ ponse pro-inflammatoire repre ´ sente ´e par la pre ´ sence de cytokines pro-inflammatoires et le stress oxydatif. La question qui se pose, et e ´ tant toujours sous investigation, concerne l’origine de la force motrice qui me ` nent a ` ces changements. L’hypothe `se la plus accepte ´e actuellement est celle qui soutient qu’une stimulation antige ´ nique chronique du syste ` me immun contribue a ` son changement vers un e ´ tat pro-inflammatoire. Cette stimulation antige ´ nique chronique peut e ˆtre d’origine virale, incluant le cytome ´ galovirus, tumorale ou d’autres sources comme la matrice extracellulaire et plus spe ´ cifiquement des fibres d’e ´ lastine et de collage ` ne. Le vieillissement et divers maladie inflammatoires associe ´ es au vieillissement comme l’athe ´ roscle ´ rose, l’ane ´ vrisme aortique abdominal, la chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (MPOC), le cancer et diabe ` tes mellitus de type 2 sont caracte ´ rise ´es par la destruction de fibres d’e ´ lastine et par la ge ´ ne ´ ration conse ´ quente de peptides d’e ´ lastine qui sont biologiquement actives. Cette revue de ´ crira la contribution putative des peptides d’e ´ lastine a ` inflamm-aging et e ´ tendre leur ro ˆle a ` l’immunosenescence, ainsi que dans les maladies inflammatoires associe ´ es a ` l’a ˆge. ß 2011 Elsevier Masson SAS. Tous droits re ´ serve ´ s. * Corresponding author. E-mail address: tamas.fulop@usherbrooke.ca (T. Fulop). Available online at www.sciencedirect.com 0369-8114/$ – see front matter ß 2011 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.patbio.2011.10.006