How does the autoimmune theory explain part of the aging process?

The autoimmune theory of aging posits that the immune system gradually loses its ability to distinguish between foreign pathogens and the body’s own healthy tissue.12

As this regulatory capacity declines, the immune system begins to produce antibodies that mistakenly identify normal body cells as foreign invaders, leading to an autoimmune attack on the individual's own body. This process is thought to be initiated by somatic mutations within cells of the immune system. Consequently, the body experiences age-related autoimmune diseases and systemic damage, which contribute to the overall process of senescence.132

While this theory is primarily supported by clinical observations rather than experimental evidence, it highlights how the failure of the body's internal defense mechanisms to maintain "self" recognition can drive age-associated degeneration.13