Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42297833›Full record

ArticleNature communications2026

Single-cell map of the healthy human immune system across the lifespan reveals unique infant immune signatures.

Djamel Nehar-Belaid, Asa Thibodeau, Alper Eroglu, Radu Marches, Giray Eryilmaz, Titas Grabauskas, Luke Trinity, Derya Unutmaz, Chris P Verschoor, Jinghua Gu and 7 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Review
  6. CMV-specific clonal expansion of Th1, GZMKbioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2025
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

17 authors.

Djamel Nehar-BelaidThe Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT, USA. Djamel.nehar-belaid@jax.org.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6002-5021
Asa ThibodeauThe Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT, USA.
Alper ErogluThe Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9473-3317
Radu MarchesThe Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT, USA.
Giray EryilmazThe Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3599-5207
Titas GrabauskasThe Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3512-9862
Luke TrinityThe Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1578-7964
Derya UnutmazThe Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT, USA.
Chris P VerschoorHealth Sciences North Research Institute, NOSM University, Sudbury, ON, Canada.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6190-2655
Jinghua GuDrukier Institute for Children's Health and Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
Uthra BalajiDrukier Institute for Children's Health and Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
Asunción MejíasDepartment of Infectious Diseases, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5983-8006
Virginia PascualDrukier Institute for Children's Health and Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8806-8426
George A KuchelUConn Center on Aging, University of Connecticut, Farmington, CT, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8387-7040
Octavio RamiloDepartment of Infectious Diseases, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0565-5239
Jacques F BanchereauThe Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT, USA.
Duygu UcarThe Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT, USA. Duygu.ucar@jax.org.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9772-3066

Funding

A deep longitudinal analysis of next generation influenza vaccines in older adultsU01AI165452 · NIAID · JACKSON LABORATORY · PI Adolfo Garcia-Sastre, GEORGE A KUCHEL · 2022 to 2026
$9.0M
High-resolution single cell profiling of vaccine responsiveness in the elderlyR01AI142086 · NIAID · JACKSON LABORATORY · PI UCAR, DUYGU · 2019 to 2023
$2.9M
Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (Division of Intramural Research of the NIAID) R01AI142086Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (Division of Intramural Research of the NIAID) U01AI165452NIAID NIH HHS R01 AI142086NIAID NIH HHS U01 AI165452
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The human immune system undergoes dynamic remodeling from infancy through old age. We profiled PBMCs from 167 healthy individuals (ages 2 months to 105 years): infants (n = 36), children (n = 26), adolescents (n = 20), young adults (n = 24), middle‑aged (n = 16), older adults (n = 33) and oldest old (n = 12) using scRNA‑seq and snATAC‑seq (n = 23). MAIT and γδ T cells showed a "rise and fall" pattern, rising in childhood, peaking in young adulthood, and declining with age. Conventional CD8⁺ T cells were most profoundly altered with age, with decreasing naïve and increasing GZMK⁺ and TEMRA cells. The oldest old had increased TEMRA, adaptive NK, and KLRF1⁺ γδ T cells. Infants showed increased CD16⁺ monocytes and pDCs, constitutive interferon‑stimulated gene expression, and expanded SOX4⁺ naïve T cells. Inflammatory and stress‑response pathways increased with age, while interferon pathways declined. This map provides insights into human immune system dynamics across the human lifespan, emphasizing unique features of the infant immune system.

Indexed as

AgingImmune SystemAdolescentAdultAgedAged, 80 and overCD8-Positive T-LymphocytesChildChild, PreschoolFemaleHumansInfantLeukocytes, MononuclearMaleMiddle AgedSingle-Cell Analysis

Identifiers

PMID42297833
PMCPMC13408835

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.