[Aging-US] Aging Immune Systems Show Reduced Ability to Clear TB During Treatment

12 May 2026

Aging-US news release

Researchers investigated how aging alters immune responses during TB infection and treatment. TB remains one of the world’s deadliest infectious diseases, and older adults are particularly vulnerable due to immunosenescence, the gradual decline of immune function that occurs with aging. Despite the growing burden of TB in aging populations worldwide, most experimental models continue to rely on young adult animals that do not accurately reflect immune aging.

Using multiple age groups of C57BL/6 mice, researchers examined how aging affects the body’s ability to control Mycobacterium tuberculosis during treatment with rifampicin and isoniazid. While young and older mice initially showed similar bacterial burden following infection, older mice demonstrated significantly delayed bacterial clearance in the lungs during the early phase of treatment.

Read the full news release here.

Source: Aging-US