The Gracefully Aging Immune System | Science Translational Medicine
Gist:
This week’s health headlines show a troubling picture: a leading biotech firm in decline, an agency for mental health near collapse, and new evidence that aging weakens immune defenses. As natural disasters intensify and immigration policies tighten, the world’s health systems face growing strain.
Moderna’s Unraveling Journey
Four years ago, Moderna stood as a global biotech powerhouse. It had nearly 6,000 employees, new offices planned across continents, and a $1.1 billion headquarters underway. The company even launched “Moderna University” to train its growing workforce.
Today, it faces its toughest challenge. Vaccine sales have dropped sharply, and no new product has replaced the lost revenue. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. canceled $776 million in bird flu vaccine contracts. The firm’s market value has collapsed by over 90% since 2021. Layoffs and internal turmoil have shaken employee confidence.
STAT’s Jason Mast spoke with dozens of Moderna insiders, investors, and experts to trace the company’s decline. The fall, he found, is complex and ongoing. From a private Maroon 5 concert to deep political clashes, Moderna’s crisis reflects both ambition and overreach.
Hurricane Melissa’s Deadly Impact
Hurricane Melissa tore through Jamaica on Tuesday and struck Cuba the next day. It is one of the strongest Atlantic storms in recorded history. Dozens of deaths have been confirmed in Jamaica, Haiti, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic. Many areas remain without power, making the full scale of destruction unclear.
Jamaica’s only public hospital in St. Elizabeth Parish lost its roof and power, forcing an evacuation. Doctors Without Borders plans to send aid once airports reopen.
Past disasters show how storms cripple health systems. In 2024, hospitals in the U.S. stretched IV fluids with sports drinks after Hurricane Helene halted production. In 2022, rural Puerto Rican clinics waited ten days for fuel after Hurricane Fiona. Experts say climate change is making storms stronger, even if not more frequent.
Global Cholera Surge
The World Health Organization reports 518,324 confirmed cholera cases in 32 countries this year through September 28. Over 6,500 people have died — exceeding 2024’s total deaths, which were already 50% higher than in 2023.
SAMHSA Faces Collapse
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, known as SAMHSA, once guided America through addiction and suicide crises. But since January, deep budget cuts and layoffs have crippled its work. Fewer than half of its 900 employees remain, and only five of its top 17 leaders are still in place.
Sources told STAT’s O. Rose Broderick and Lev Facher that the agency is near paralysis. The loss of experienced staff may even stall Trump administration health initiatives. Retired official Anne Mathews-Younes warned, “You wouldn’t get your car repaired by someone who just read a book about a car.”
How Aging Changes Immunity
A study published Wednesday in Nature reveals new details about how the immune system weakens with age. Researchers at the Allen Institute analyzed immune cells from more than 300 healthy adults aged 25 to 90.
They found that while short-term changes were small, long-term differences were clear. T cells — which coordinate immune defenses — showed reduced gene activity in older adults. Memory T cells, vital for quick vaccine responses, became less effective with age. Scientists believe pairing vaccines with immune-boosting signals may restore their strength.
U.S. Health Care’s Dependence on H-1B Doctors
President Trump’s new policy imposes a $100,000 fee on new H-1B visa applications, up from a few thousand dollars. Experts fear this move will damage an already strained health care system.
A JAMA study shows that nearly 1% of U.S. doctors hold H-1B visas. Rural areas depend most on them — twice as much as cities — and poor counties rely on them four times more than wealthy ones. A JAMA editorial argues that waiving fees for physicians “serves the national interest.”
#ImmuneSystem #HurricaneMelissa #ModernaCrisis #MentalHealthFunding #HealthcarePolicy