Experiment on mice: new drug extends life by 25%
A team of scientists from the Medical Research Council’s Laboratory of Medical Sciences and Imperial College London have made a major breakthrough by inhibiting a protein known as IL-11, which can increase the healthy lifespan of mice by almost 25%. The discovery offers a promising avenue for human longevity research.
In collaboration with the NUS Duke University School of Medicine in Singapore, the researchers conducted experiments on genetically modified mice in which they had deleted the gene responsible for producing IL-11 (interleukin 11). They also injected 75-week-old mice with an anti-IL-11 antibody that neutralizes the harmful effects of IL-11.
The study, published in the journal Nature, suggests that these treatments could have a positive impact on human lifespan, although clinical trials are still needed to confirm this. Katie Slack, an expert in the biology of ageing at the University of Warwick, UK, said the discovery could be a real opportunity to develop effective clinical treatments – an area that currently faces many hurdles.
The relationship between chronic inflammation and diseases associated with aging has long been a subject of study. As the body ages, proteins and other harmful molecules accumulate that affect the immune system and increase susceptibility to infections, which can trigger more inflammatory responses and lead to diseases such as cancer and other autoimmune diseases.
The role of IL-11 in this process was discovered by chance by molecular biologist Anissa Wijaya. Their discovery opened up new avenues for studying how to improve the health and longevity of animals. The team achieved similar results using an anti-IL-11 antibody for 25 weeks, specifically in 75-week-old mice.
Previously, some scientists used rapamycin, a drug known for its anti-aging properties. However, although rapamycin was shown to be effective in increasing lifespan, it did not significantly improve overall health. The results were obtained by inhibiting IL-11. The research team is determined to continue exploring this area.
In the future, they plan to test IL-11 drug candidates in mice with different genetic backgrounds and conduct trials in multiple labs to ensure reproducibility of the results. These clinical trials are needed to assess the real-world impact of the treatment on human longevity and health.
However, clinical trials focused on longevity can be long, expensive, and complex due to a variety of factors. Therefore, researchers will likely focus on specific conditions associated with aging, such as muscle loss. Despite the complexity of the aging process, there are many therapeutic approaches and much biological information to be discovered.
This advance in IL-11 inhibition represents a significant step forward in aging and longevity research. Although the road to human clinical application is long and fraught with challenges, the results so far are encouraging and could change our understanding and treatment of aging. The researchers will continue to work to translate these findings into effective treatments that will improve quality of life and longevity in people in the future.
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