The Contribution of Chronic (Retro)Virus Infections to Inflammaging: A Multi-Cohort, Cross-Omics Approach

The fast aging global population challenges the current public health system. Aging is associated with many changes in the immune system, this project focuses on one of them: chronic low-grade inflammation also known as ‘inflammaging’. We hypothesize that exogenous (HIV-1, HTLV-1) as well as endogenous retroviruses share the ability to induce inflammation through type I interferon (IFN), but that age-, gender- and cell-specific mechanisms define the combined pathogenic effect. If this hypothesis is correct, this logically implies inflammaging can be objectively quantified and repurposing of anti(retro)viral therapy should be considered in inflammaging. We propose a comprehensive systems biology “cross-omics” approach, to reveal age-specific inflammatory signatures in chronic viral infections (HIV/HTLV-1/CMV). This might allow repurposing of currently used antiviral and antiretroviral drugs for a precision medicine approach, in lifelong treated people living with HIV as well as ‘frail’ elderly coping with inflammaging triggered by herpesviruses (CMV and others).