Micronutrients and immune ageing

Edited by:
Hammad Ullah, PhD, University of Naples Federico II, Italy

Submission Status: Open | Submission Deadline: 6 December 2024

Immunity & Ageing is calling for submissions to our Collection on Micronutrients and immune ageing. Accumulating data indicate that maintaining adequate levels of vitamins and minerals can help offset deleterious age-related alterations to the immune system. However, older adults may face difficulties in maintaining appropriate intake of these nutrients because of a variety of conditions, such as reduced absorption capacity, noncommunicable diseases, and changes in physical, physiological, and cognitive functioning. A balanced diet is the optimal way to meet nutritional needs, but it can be challenging to do so, especially for older adults. Improving nutritional status and thus bolstering the immune system can be achieved safely and affordably with the use of fortified foods and food supplements, which are helpful in obtaining necessary micronutrient intake. It may be advisable for older individuals to supplement their diet with a variety of nutrients, especially those that are important for the immune system such as zinc, selenium, and vitamins C, D, and E.

The development of strategies to ensure adequate nutrition for the increasing number of older adults will be a significant and cost-effective investment in the future. This is because optimal nutrition will continue to support the immune system in older people. The purpose of this Topical Collection is to draw attention to the potential function of micronutrients in protecting against age-related illnesses as well as in mitigating the immunological and inflammatory processes linked to ageing. In this regard, we welcome original research articles (including preclinical and clinical trials, epidemiological studies, and case studies), comprehensive reviews, meta-analysis reports, and commentaries.

Potential topics include but not limited to:

1. The support of vitamins and minerals in immune system function and in the maintenance of healthy ageing.

2. Cellular and molecular targets of micronutrients in influencing immunological ageing.

3. Reduction of immunological ageing with dietary modifications and/or food supplements.

4. Studies showing the connection between the nutritional status in older adults and susceptibility to immune-mediated illnesses like autoimmune diseases, chronic inflammatory conditions and systemic infections.

5. Influence of dietary and environmental factors on micronutrient status and immunological ageing.

Image credit: © georgept2 / Getty Images / iStock

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Meet the Guest Editor

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Dr. Hammad Ullah, PhD, University of Naples Federico II, Italy

Hammad Ullah obtained his PhD in ‘Nutraceuticals and Functional foods” at the Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II Italy in liaison with the Department of Analytical and Food Chemistry, University of Vigo Spain. His research activity focuses mainly on the comprehensive investigation of natural products, with the final aim of developing new food supplements and functional food ingredients. His scientific activity is documented in more than 50 peer-reviewed articles, book, and book chapters. He believes in the power of interdisciplinary collaboration and has participated in numerous conferences to share knowledge and foster connections within the academic community. He is currently an Editorial Board Member of BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies (Springer Nature), Journal of Medicinal Food (Mary Ann Liebert), and Discover Life (Springer Nature). His scientific contributions are recognized by several research awards including ‘MEDWELL Award for Best PhD Thesis (2023)’; ‘PSE Dra. Mariola Macías Award (2023)’; and ‘Young Researcher Award at MONASH INITIATE 2022’.

There are currently no articles in this collection.

Submission Guidelines

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This Collection welcomes submission of original research articles (including preclinical and clinical trials, epidemiological studies, and case studies), comprehensive reviews, meta-analysis reports, and commentaries. Should you wish to submit a different article type, please read our submission guidelines to confirm that type is accepted by the journal.

Articles for this Collection should be submitted via our submission system, Snapp. Please, select the appropriate Collection title “Micronutrients and immune ageing" under the “Details” tab during the submission stage.

Articles will undergo the journal’s standard peer-review process and are subject to all the journal’s standard policies. Articles will be added to the Collection as they are published.

The Editors have no competing interests with the submissions which they handle through the peer-review process. The peer-review of any submissions for which the Editors have competing interests is handled by another Editorial Board Member who has no competing interests.