Spermidine supplement improves COVID 19 vaccine response in older adults

Other collaborators include researchers from the Oxford Vaccine Group, Drs. Paul Klenerman, Teresa Lambe, and Lucy Jones and Owen B. Spiller from Cardiff University.

Aging and weakened immunity

For the study, Simon and her colleagues recruited 40 healthy adults aged 65 and over. Participants received either a daily spermidine supplement of six milligrams or a placebo for 13 weeks following their third COVID-19 vaccination.

But several measures of vaccine induced immunity were substantially improved in vaccine non-responders who also took spermidine supplements; they tended to have higher levels of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, and better neutralizing activity against multiple viral variants.

The team also found that spermidine reduced markers of immunosenescence and stimulated autophagy, a natural cellular recycling process that helps cells remove damaged components and maintain healthy function. The supplement was found to be safe and well tolerated, with no adverse effects linked to treatment.

"This study was designed as a pilot trial and involved a relatively small number of participants," says Simon. "Larger studies will be needed to determine whether spermidine can consistently improve vaccine responses and whether similar effects are seen with other vaccines, such as those used against seasonal influenza."

Source:

Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association

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