［Health Science domain］
World’s First Confirmation of a Relationship Between Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cell (pDC) Activity and Frailty, a Condition Associated with Aging
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- Research and Technology
June 12, 2025
Kirin Holdings Company, Limited
TOKYO, June 12, 2025 - Kirin Holdings Company, Limited (President and COO Takeshi Minakata; hereinafter referred to as Kirin) Health Science Institute (Director: Koichiro Murashima) and Dr. Mitsuo Maruyama of the Geroscience Research Center at the National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology (President: Hidenori Arai; hereinafter referred to as “NCGG”) confirmed through joint research2 the existence of a relationship between Frailty3 and pDC (plasmacytoid dendritic cell; hereafter pDC) activity for the first time in the world. In this study, a survey of elderly individuals with frailty confirmed decreased pDC activity in frail individuals. The results of this research will be presented at the Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society of Anti-Aging Pharmaceuticals scheduled to be held from June 13 (Friday) to June 15 (Sunday), 2025.
1 Affiliated with the Geroscience Research Center at the National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology until March 31, 2025.
2 Based on original articles published in PubMed and Pharmaceuticals Web (survey conducted on Thursday, May 22, 2025, by KnowledgeWire)
3 Refers to the state between active life (healthy) and requiring nursing care. In this stage, the body's reserve capacity has decreased, and the risk of transitioning to a state requiring long-term care is said to be high, as the slightest trigger can cause significant loss of physical strength.
Against the backdrop of a super-aging society, the importance of research on "aging" is increasing. In order to confirm the relationship between aging and immune function centered on pDCs, Kirin and NCGG jointly initiated this research in 2023. Since it is known that a decline in immunity associated with aging increases the risk of infectious diseases and disorders4, the study focused on the function of pDCs, which play an important role in maintaining immune function. We believe that the fundamental research findings on the activity of pDCs in elderly individuals are important when taking measures against infectious diseases for people with frailty and are significant for the goal of a healthy and long-lived society.
4 Chen R et al. Chin Med J (Engl). 2024;137(24):3010-3049.
Research Results (Summary)
Compared to healthy elderly people, frail elderly people were found to have a lower percentage of pDCs that produce IFN-α (interferon alpha), a protein that regulates the immune response to viral infections. (Figure 1)
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Figure 1. Adjusted odds ratios for pDC IFN-α in healthy and frail elderly people
Key Findings
It was suggested that the activity of pDC, which plays an important role in the immune response to viral infection, decreases with the progression of frailty.
Future Outlook
This knowledge will be utilized to develop measures for preventing infections in frail individuals and contribute to addressing health challenges and promoting a healthy, long-lived society.
Attachment: Results of a cross-sectional observational study on physical frailty and aging immune function in elderly people
About Kirin Holdings
Kirin Holdings Company, Limited is an international company that operates in the Food & Beverages domain (Food & Beverages businesses), Pharmaceuticals domain (Pharmaceuticals businesses), and Health Science domain (Health Science business), both in Japan and across the globe.
Kirin Holdings can trace its roots to Japan Brewery, which was established in 1885. Japan Brewery became Kirin Brewery in 1907. Since then, the company has expanded its business with fermentation and biotechnology as its core technologies, and entered the pharmaceutical business in the 1980s, all of which continue to be global growth centers. In 2007, Kirin Holdings was established as a pure holding company and is currently focusing on boosting its Health Science domain.
Under the Kirin Group Vision 2027 (KV 2027), a long-term management plan launched in 2019, the Kirin Group aims to become “A global leader in CSV*, creating value across our world of Food & Beverages to Pharmaceuticals”. Going forward, the Kirin Group will continue to leverage its strengths to create both social and economic value through its businesses, with the aim of achieving sustainable growth in corporate value.
* Creating Shared Value. Combined added value for consumers and society at large.
Cross-sectional observational study of physical frailty and aging immune function in elderly people.
What are pDCs (plasmacytoid dendritic cells)?
When bacteria and viruses enter the body, following the activation of pDC immune cells, which play an important role as a command post, various immune cells such as NK cells, T cells, and B cells actively work to protect the body from viral infections.
Research Results: World's First Confirmation of Low pDC Activity in Frail Elderly People Compared to Normal Elderly People
Background and Objectives
Frailty is a concept proposed by the Japanese Society of Geriatrics and Gerontology in 2014 as a state between normal healthy condition and the need for nursing care (a state of requiring support in daily living). In this state, relatively mild stress is likely to have a negative impact on health and lead to increased risk of death. Research on the impact of frailty on health is being conducted around the world, and in recent years, the link between frailty and immunity has been attracting attention as frailty makes people more susceptible to potentially serious viral infections such as influenza6.
This research aims to elucidate the relationship between frailty and pDC activity through joint research between NCGG, which has long been engaged in research on aging and frailty, and Kirin, which has been conducting research in the field of immunology for more than 35 years.
6 Saito-Iwai K et al. BMC Geriatrics. 2023;23(1):249.
Research method
In September 2023, a specific health checkup was conducted on 141 elderly people aged 65 and over participating in the large-scale cohort study7 NCGG-SGS8. The National Institute for Longevity Research conducted a frail diagnosis, and Kirin measured data on pDC activity in the blood. The relationship between frail and pDC activity was then jointly studied and analyzed. pDC activity was based on the median value of 2.78% for all subjects, and those with pDC activity below 2.78% were defined as having low pDC activity, while those with pDC activity above 2.78% were defined as having high pDC activity.
7 Research method that tracks a group (cohort) with common characteristics over a long period of time and observes and analyzes changes in diseases and health conditions that occur in the group.
8 Long-term longitudinal study of aging conducted by the National Institute on Longevity since 2011.
Results: Relationship between frail and pDC activity
Compared to healthy elderly people, the odds ratio9 of having high pDC activity was about half (0.52) (p < 0.1) for those in pre-frail condition and about 1/5 (0.21) (p < 0.05) for those in a frail condition. (Figure 1)
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Figure 1. Adjusted odds ratios for pDC IFN-α in healthy and frail elderly people
9 Odds ratio is a value used to express the likelihood of an event. When the odds ratio is large, the value and the likelihood of occurrence are positively correlated.
Collaborative Research Results
This joint study shows for the first time in the world that pDC activity is lower in frail people than in healthy elderly people. This suggests that it may be important for frail people to care for their immune function.
GALLERY
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Figure 1. Adjusted odds ratios for pDC IFN-α in healthy and frail elderly people