Can Exercise Be an Immunotherapy?

DC: Dentritic cell; fMLP-R: N-formyl-leucyl-phenylalanine receptor; GM-CSF-R: GM-CSF receptor; pDC: Plasmacytoid dendritic cell; TLR: Toll-like receptor; TREM: Triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cell.

Authors and Disclosures

Adriana L de Araújo^1‡, Léia CR Silva^1‡, Juliana Ruiz Fernandes¹ & Gil Benard*<sup>1,2,3

1</sup>Laboratory of Dermatology & Immunodeficiencies, Dermatology Division, Clinics Hospital, São Paulo, Brazil
²Tropical Medicine Institute, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
³R. Dr. Eneas de Carvalho Aguiar 470, Cerqueira Cesar, São Paulo, CEP 05403-903, Brazil

Financial & competing interests disclosure
AL de Araújo and LCR Silva received fellowship grants from CAPES and FAPESP (#2011/18268-4). G Benard and JR Fernandes received grants from CNPq and FAPESP (#2011/08817-0). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.
No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

*Author for correspondence
Tel.: +55 11 3061 7457 Fax: +55 11 3081 7190 mahong@usp.br

^‡Authors contributed equally

Sidebar

Executive Summary

• There is now a strong body of evidence showing that aging is accompanied by severe alterations in the immune system, a process known as immunosenescence. Among these changes are alterations in T-cell subpopulation size, cytokine secretion pattern, cell replicative capacity and antibody production, all of which culminate in a proinflammatory state called inflammaging and diminished capacity to respond to new antigens. These alterations are closely related to the increased mortality and morbidity rates observed in this population.

• Although the impact of exercise on the immune system is an area of extensive research, most studies have focused on the responses to acute exercise, but only a few have addressed the immune response to exercise training in the long term, particularly in elderly people.

• Data gathered from the literature regarding the effects of physical activity on immune system aging are still limited and conflicting, with the existing reports either advocating benefits or asserting a lack of evidence. It is likely that the conflicting data may reflect the heterogeneity of study protocols, with different types, intensities and program lengths, and the distinct immunological parameters assayed.

• Exercise as part of a healthy lifestyle has already been shown to provide long-term benefits with regard to cardiovascular, cognitive, psychosocial and other aspects of the elderly. If positive effects are also observed for immunosenescence, exercise could be recommended as an 'immunotherapy', representing a highly cost-effective measure to improve human quality of life compared with the other strategies currently being pursued.