Topic Overview:

One particular detriment of human aging is “immunosenescence,” the inevitable loss of functional capacity in the immune system.  This phenomenon is associated with the pathogenesis of age-related diseases, including neurodegenerative, cardiovascular, and muscular/skeletal disorders, and leads to a greater susceptibility to infections, tumors, and possibly cancer.  The processes that result in immunosenescence are not well understood.

The Robinson laboratory uses proteomics to delineate the molecular basis of aging and resulting changes in the peripheral immune system.  Proteomics offers the ability to measure thousands of proteins simultaneously and to obtain a wealth of information in a high-throughput fashion. Specifically, insight into the role of individual proteins or pathways implicated in aging and age-related disorders is possible. Robinson will highlight quantitative proteomics tools that her group has developed and applied to understand aspects of aging and immunity in human and animal aging model tissues, including the significance of oxidative post-translational modifications.