Georgia Tech Researchers Revive Aging Immune T Cells with Silicon Nanowires

Biomedical engineers at the Georgia Institute of Technology, led by Ankur Singh and Ph.D. student Zhonghao Dai, used microscopic silicon nanowire beds to deliver microRNA instructions into more than 90% of aged CD8 T cells without harming them. The treatment restored the cells' activity, proliferation and ability to target infected or cancerous cells, effectively countering immunosenescence – the age‑related decline in immune function that worsens outcomes for infections such as COVID‑19.

The approach avoids viral vectors and permanent gene editing, focusing on transient modulation of cellular regulatory networks. Published in Cell Biomaterials, the work highlights a potential strategy to improve vaccine responses and cancer immunotherapies for older adults, though it is not intended to reverse aging itself.