A new drug has shown the potential to extend the lifespans of laboratory mice by nearly 25%, offering hope that it might also slow human aging.
Dubbed "supermodel grannies" in the lab, the treated mice displayed a youthful appearance, improved health, strength, and fewer incidences of cancer compared to their untreated friends.
Currently undergoing human trials, the drug's effectiveness in humans remains uncertain. Scientists have long understood that the ageing process can be influenced, as demonstrated by the extended lifespans of animals on restricted diets. Today, ageing research is going viral, with scientists seeking to decode and manipulate the molecular mechanisms of ageing.
Researchers at the MRC Laboratory of Medical Science, Imperial College London, and Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore focused on a protein called interleukin-11. This protein's levels rise with age, contributing to increased inflammation and accelerating the ageing process.
The team conducted two experiments: one involved genetically modifying mice to prevent the production of interleukin-11, and the other administered a drug to eliminate interleukin-11 in older mice (around 75 weeks old, roughly equivalent to a 55-year-old human). The findings, published in the journal Nature, revealed that lifespans increased by 20-25%, varying by experiment and the sex of the mice. These mice showed significantly lower cancer rates, better muscle function, leaner bodies, healthier fur, and improved frailty scores.
Professor Stuart Cook, one of the researchers, acknowledged the promising data but remained cautiously optimistic due to the prevalence of unproven anti-ageing solutions. He emphasised the importance of rigorous data and expressed confidence in the potential transformative impact if the drug proved effective in humans.
The critical question remains whether similar results can be achieved in humans and if any side effects are manageable. Interleukin-11, essential in early development, is rarely absent in humans, but its presence can influence bone and joint formation and cause scarring. Researchers believe that in later life, interleukin-11 may contribute to ageing.
The drug, a manufactured antibody targeting interleukin-11, is also being tested in patients with lung fibrosis, a condition that scars the lungs and impairs breathing. Although trials are incomplete, early data suggest the drug is safe.
This approach is part of a broader effort to combat ageing with pharmaceuticals. Other drugs, like the type-2 diabetes medication metformin and rapamycin, used to prevent organ transplant rejection, are also under investigation for their anti-ageing properties. Professor Cook believes a drug-based solution would be more practical for most people compared to severe calorie restriction.
Professor Anissa Widjaja from Duke-NUS medical school expressed optimism about the research's relevance to human health, noting similar effects observed in human cells and tissues. She views this research as a significant step toward understanding ageing and extending healthy life spans.
Professor Ilaria Bellantuono of the University of Sheffield acknowledged the promising data but pointed out challenges, including the lack of patient evidence and the high cost of producing such drugs, making widespread treatment for ageing impractical.
Dubbed "supermodel grannies" in the lab, the treated mice displayed a youthful appearance, improved health, strength, and fewer incidences of cancer compared to their untreated friends.
Currently undergoing human trials, the drug's effectiveness in humans remains uncertain. Scientists have long understood that the ageing process can be influenced, as demonstrated by the extended lifespans of animals on restricted diets. Today, ageing research is going viral, with scientists seeking to decode and manipulate the molecular mechanisms of ageing.
Researchers at the MRC Laboratory of Medical Science, Imperial College London, and Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore focused on a protein called interleukin-11. This protein's levels rise with age, contributing to increased inflammation and accelerating the ageing process.
The team conducted two experiments: one involved genetically modifying mice to prevent the production of interleukin-11, and the other administered a drug to eliminate interleukin-11 in older mice (around 75 weeks old, roughly equivalent to a 55-year-old human). The findings, published in the journal Nature, revealed that lifespans increased by 20-25%, varying by experiment and the sex of the mice. These mice showed significantly lower cancer rates, better muscle function, leaner bodies, healthier fur, and improved frailty scores.
Professor Stuart Cook, one of the researchers, acknowledged the promising data but remained cautiously optimistic due to the prevalence of unproven anti-ageing solutions. He emphasised the importance of rigorous data and expressed confidence in the potential transformative impact if the drug proved effective in humans.
The critical question remains whether similar results can be achieved in humans and if any side effects are manageable. Interleukin-11, essential in early development, is rarely absent in humans, but its presence can influence bone and joint formation and cause scarring. Researchers believe that in later life, interleukin-11 may contribute to ageing.
The drug, a manufactured antibody targeting interleukin-11, is also being tested in patients with lung fibrosis, a condition that scars the lungs and impairs breathing. Although trials are incomplete, early data suggest the drug is safe.
This approach is part of a broader effort to combat ageing with pharmaceuticals. Other drugs, like the type-2 diabetes medication metformin and rapamycin, used to prevent organ transplant rejection, are also under investigation for their anti-ageing properties. Professor Cook believes a drug-based solution would be more practical for most people compared to severe calorie restriction.
Professor Anissa Widjaja from Duke-NUS medical school expressed optimism about the research's relevance to human health, noting similar effects observed in human cells and tissues. She views this research as a significant step toward understanding ageing and extending healthy life spans.
Professor Ilaria Bellantuono of the University of Sheffield acknowledged the promising data but pointed out challenges, including the lack of patient evidence and the high cost of producing such drugs, making widespread treatment for ageing impractical.
