Long-term effects of BCG vaccination on telomere length and telomerase activity.

Ozlem Bulut, Valerie A C M Koeken, Simone J C F M Moorlag, Charlotte J de Bree, Vera P Mourits, Gizem Kilic, Priya A Debisarun, Marijke P A Baltissen, Joost H A Martens, Jorge Domínguez-Andrés, Leo A B Joosten, Mihai G Netea

Department of Internal Medicine and Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands. · pubmed

Paper

Abstract

This study explores the effects of Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccination on telomere maintenance, an aging-related process, in immune cells. While BCG reduces systemic inflammation and enhances innate immune responsiveness by inducing trained immunity, its effects on other immune aging hallmarks, such as telomere shortening, are not fully understood. We assessed telomere length in two independent human cohorts before and three months after BCG vaccination. Telomere shortening was consistently observed after BCG, but not after placebo vaccination. Trained immunity non-responders were likelier to lose telomere length, but only among males. Higher pre-vaccination testosterone levels were associated with greater telomere loss in males.

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Research summary

BCG vaccination leads to telomere shortening in immune cells, particularly in males with higher testosterone levels. The study addresses telomere maintenance, a key aspect of aging, and explores how vaccination may influence immune aging processes, making it relevant to longevity research.

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