Aging, Persistent Viral Infections, and Immunosenescence: Can Exercise Make Space''?

SIMPSON, R.J. Aging, persistent viral infections, and immunosenescence: can exercise make space''? Exerc. Sport Sci. Rev., Vol. 39, No. 1, pp. 23-33, 2011. Overcrowding the immune space with excess clones of viral-specific T cells causes the naive T-cell repertoire to shrink, which increases infection susceptibility to novel pathogens. Physical exercise preferentially mobilizes senescent T cells from the peripheral tissues into the blood, which might facilitate their subsequent apoptosis and create vacant space'' for newly functional T cells to occupy and expand the naive T-cell repertoire.