Abstract
Biological aging and immunosenescence are central to longevity, yet their interplay in centenarians remains unclear. We conducted a cross-sectional study in 160 Colombian centenarians to examine associations between biological age (PhenoAge), immunosenescence and age-related clinical variables. Cytokine profiling (n = 114) and lymphocyte immunophenotyping (n = 42) were assessed. It was observed that better QoL and well-being were significantly associated with lower biological age, while depressive symptoms, prior tobacco use, elevated levels of RANTES and G-CSF as well as a distinct CD8+ T cell phenotype including greater CD27− CD28+ central memory, effector memory, and KLRG1− CD57+ terminally differentiated effector memory T cells (TEMRA), and fewer KLRG1+ CD57+ TEMRA cells were linked to higher biological age. Centenarians were classified into three categories: vigorous (10%), resilient (46.25%), and vulnerable (43.75%). Cytokine levels were similar across the groups. These findings challenge the notion of immunosenescence in centenarians and highlight the value of translational research in geroscience.
Data availability
Individual-level data cannot be stored in public repositories or otherwise made publicly available due to ethical and data protection restrictions. However, data are available upon request for researchers who meet the criteria for access to confidential data.
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Acknowledgements
We extend our special thanks to the members of the Colombian Centenarians Alliance who made the design and maintenance of this national study possible. To the University EIA, Soluciones Moleculares SAS, the Office for the Older Persons of the Bogotá Health Secretary, and particularly to the commitment of the centenarians for their desire to contribute to the study, understanding, and promotion of extreme longevity. This work was supported by the Colombian Centenarians Alliance, Clínica de la Costa (Barranquilla, Colombia) and Universidad del Rosario (Bogotá, Colombia).
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J.M.A., E.A.R.N., I.D.L.M., and M.R. conceived and designed the study. J.M.A., E.A.R.N., I.D.L.M., M.R., Y.A.A., D.M.M. and J.A.A.A. contributed to methodology and data analysis. J.M.A., I.D.L.M., M.J.D.G., O.P., and B.G. collected and curated the data. J.E.G., I.T. and C.R.S. contributed to biological sample management for formal analysis and interpretation. A.A.C.B. supported clinical and laboratory work. J.M.A., I.D.L.M., and E.A.R.N. wrote the first draft of the paper. All authors contributed to data interpretation and revised the paper for intellectual content. J.M.A. supervised the study. All authors have read and approved the paper.
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Anaya, JM., Ruiz-Narváez, E.A., Lozada-Martinez, I.D. et al. Biological age and immunosenescence in Colombian centenarians. npj Aging (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41514-026-00340-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41514-026-00340-6
