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Aging is accompanied by a progressive decline in immune function termed “immunosenescence”. Deficient surveillance coupled with the impaired function of immune cells compromises host defense in older animals. The dynamic activity of regulatory modules that control immunity appears to underlie age-dependent modifications to the immune system. In the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans levels of PMK-1 p38 MAP kinase diminish over time, reducing the expression of immune effectors that clear bacterial pathogens. Along with the PMK-1 pathway, innate immunity in C. elegans is regulated by the insulin signaling pathway. Here we asked whether DAF-16, a Forkhead box (FOXO) transcription factor whose activity is inhibited by insulin signaling, plays a role in host defense later in life. While in younger C. elegansDAF-16 is inactive unless stimulated by environmental insults, we found that even in the absence of acute stress the transcriptional activity of DAF-16 increases in an age-dependent manner. Beginning in the reproductive phase of adulthood, DAF-16 upregulates a subset of its transcriptional targets, including genes required to kill ingested microbes. Accordingly, DAF-16 has little to no role in larval immunity, but functions specifically during adulthood to confer resistance to bacterial pathogens. We found that DAF-16-mediated immunity in adults requires SMK-1, a regulatory subunit of the PP4 protein phosphatase complex. Our data suggest that as the function of one branch of the innate immune system of C. elegans (PMK-1) declines over time, DAF-16-mediated immunity ramps up to become the predominant means of protecting adults from infection, thus reconfiguring immunity later in life.

Human papillomaviruses are major causative agents of multiple cancers including cervical, vulvar, penile, anal, and oropharyngeal cancers. Almost all sexually active individuals are exposed to HPV in their lifetime and although not all HPV genotypes are capable of causing cancers, several high-risk subtypes widely circulate. Several HPV vaccines have been developed and successfully utilized to limit the spread of these viruses and reduce rates of associated cancers. Despite their success, HPV vaccination rates in the United States remain low. Studies estimate the highest prevalence of HPV in the United States is among college students. This makes college students an important target for interventions that promote HPV vaccination and prevention. To this end, we were interested in investigating the relationship between low HPV vaccine uptake and attitudes and awareness about HPV vaccination among college aged students. We designed a survey to assess knowledge and perception of HPV and HPV vaccination that could help identify correlations between this knowledge and vaccination status. Overall, the data suggest that factors beyond basic knowledge about HPV infections, such as vaccine safety and social acceptance of vaccination, may have important impacts on vaccination rates. More robust education in these areas, supplemented with education about the benefits of HPV vaccination could be utilized to improve vaccination rates.

Human papillomaviruses are major causative agents of multiple cancers including cervical, penial, and oropharyngeal cancers. Almost all sexually active individuals are exposed to HPV in their lifetime and although not all HPV subtypes are capable of causing cancers, several high-risk subtypes widely circulate. Several HPV vaccines have been developed and successfully utilized to limit the spread of these viruses and reduce rates of associated cancers. Despite their success, HPV vaccination rates remain low. Studies estimate the highest prevalence of HPV in the United States is among college students. This makes college students an ideal target for interventions that promote HPV vaccination and prevention. To this end, we were interested in investigating the relationship between low HPV vaccine uptake and attitudes and awareness about HPV vaccination among college aged students. We designed a survey to assess knowledge and perception of HPV and HPV vaccination that could help pinpoint correlations between this knowledge and vaccination status. We find that more robust education focusing on the benefits of HPV vaccination could be utilized to improve vaccination rates.