IFNA1 and infection: CD11b+ cells, which include granulocytes, monocytes, DCs, and NK cells, play a critical role in pathogen recognition, antigen presentation, cytokine regulation, etc. With aging, these cells experience functional decline, including impaired type I interferon (IFN) responses and dysregulated cytokine secretions, which disrupts immune homeostasis and exacerbates inflammaging, leaving older individuals more vulnerable to infections (Ajoolabady et al. 2024).