College
College of Engineering
Mentor Information
Olukemi Akintewe
Description
Older adults in the United States experience a high burden of infectious diseases due to age related immune decline, reduced vaccine responsiveness, and increased comorbidities. Monoclonal antibody therapies are an important strategy for lowering this burden because they provide immediate and highly specific immune protection. This review evaluates the effectiveness of monoclonal antibodies in reducing infectious disease severity in elderly populations and examines how neutrophils and the formation of neutrophil extracellular traps interact with antibody based treatments. Throughout the review, these therapies have been shown to be successful against multiple infectious diseases, and clinical findings suggest that hospitalized elderly or immunocompromised patients with COVID-19 may experience reduced disease progression when monoclonal antibodies are combined with other medications. Because innate immunity remains essential in older adults, this review also considers neutrophil biology. Neutrophil extracellular traps are networks of chromatin fibers and antimicrobial proteins that help restrict pathogens; however, uncontrolled formation can lead to inflammation, clot formation, and lung injury, particularly in COVID-19. This literature based review analyzed peer-reviewed studies published between 2015 and 2024, excluding earlier studies to ensure relevance to current therapeutic approaches. Understanding both the beneficial and harmful roles of neutrophil activity is necessary for improving monoclonal antibody treatments in aging immune systems. Overall, current evidence shows that fully human monoclonal antibodies are a promising method for reducing disease severity in elderly patients in the United States.
Efficacy of Monoclonal Antibody Treatment on Lowering Infectious Disease Burden in U.S. Elderly Patients
Older adults in the United States experience a high burden of infectious diseases due to age related immune decline, reduced vaccine responsiveness, and increased comorbidities. Monoclonal antibody therapies are an important strategy for lowering this burden because they provide immediate and highly specific immune protection. This review evaluates the effectiveness of monoclonal antibodies in reducing infectious disease severity in elderly populations and examines how neutrophils and the formation of neutrophil extracellular traps interact with antibody based treatments. Throughout the review, these therapies have been shown to be successful against multiple infectious diseases, and clinical findings suggest that hospitalized elderly or immunocompromised patients with COVID-19 may experience reduced disease progression when monoclonal antibodies are combined with other medications. Because innate immunity remains essential in older adults, this review also considers neutrophil biology. Neutrophil extracellular traps are networks of chromatin fibers and antimicrobial proteins that help restrict pathogens; however, uncontrolled formation can lead to inflammation, clot formation, and lung injury, particularly in COVID-19. This literature based review analyzed peer-reviewed studies published between 2015 and 2024, excluding earlier studies to ensure relevance to current therapeutic approaches. Understanding both the beneficial and harmful roles of neutrophil activity is necessary for improving monoclonal antibody treatments in aging immune systems. Overall, current evidence shows that fully human monoclonal antibodies are a promising method for reducing disease severity in elderly patients in the United States.
