A groundbreaking discovery has shown that a new drug can extend the lifespans of laboratory animals by nearly 25%. This advancement has scientists hopeful that it may also slow the aging process in humans.
The treated mice, referred to as “supermodel grannies” in the lab due to their youthful appearance, exhibited better health, strength, and fewer cancers compared to their untreated peers. This promising drug is already undergoing tests in humans, but its potential anti-aging effects remain uncertain.
The quest for a longer life has fascinated humanity for centuries. Scientists have long known that the aging process is malleable—laboratory animals live longer if they consume significantly less food. Currently, the field of aging research is booming as researchers aim to uncover and manipulate the molecular processes of aging.
A team from 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 increase in the human body with age, contributing to higher inflammation and activating several biological switches that control aging.
The researchers conducted two key experiments:
- Genetically engineered mice that were unable to produce interleukin-11.
- Older mice (75 weeks old, roughly equivalent to 55 years in humans) were given a drug to purge interleukin-11 from their bodies.
The results, published in Nature, showed that lifespans increased by 20-25% depending on the experiment and the sex of the mice. Notably, the mice lacking interleukin-11 had significantly lower levels of cancer and showed improved muscle function, leaner bodies, healthier fur, and better scores on frailty measures.
Prof Stuart Cook, one of the researchers, shared his cautious optimism: “I try not to get too excited, for the reasons you say, is it too good to be true? There’s lots of snake oil out there, so I try to stick to the data and they are the strongest out there.” He believes that it is “definitely” worth trialing in human aging, arguing that the impact “would be transformative” if it works. Prof Cook even expressed his willingness to take the drug himself.
The big questions remain: can the same effects be achieved in humans, and will any side effects be tolerable? Interleukin-11 does play a role in early human development, affecting skull bone fusion, joint health, and dental development. However, later in life, it seems to drive aging.
The drug, a manufactured antibody targeting interleukin-11, is currently being trialed in patients with lung fibrosis—a condition where the lungs become scarred, making breathing difficult. While trials are incomplete, the data so far suggest that the drug is safe to take.
This is just one of many approaches to “treating” aging with drugs. The type-2 diabetes drug metformin and rapamycin, which is used to prevent organ transplant rejection, are also being researched for their anti-aging properties. Prof Cook believes that taking a drug might be easier for people than severe calorie restriction. “Would you want to live from the age of 40, half-starved, have a completely unpleasant life, if you’re going to live another five years at the end? I wouldn’t,” he said.
Prof Anissa Widjaja from Duke-NUS Medical School said, “Although our work was done in mice, we hope that these findings will be highly relevant to human health, given that we have seen similar effects in studies of human cells and tissues. This research is an important step toward better understanding aging, and we have demonstrated, in mice, a therapy that could potentially extend healthy aging.”
Ilaria Bellantuono, professor of musculoskeletal aging at the University of Sheffield, also sees promise in the data, describing it as “solid” and noting that it targets a mechanism of aging which may benefit frailty. However, she points out the challenges, including the lack of evidence in patients and the cost of such drugs, stating that “it is unthinkable to treat every 50-year-old for the rest of their life.”
As research progresses, the dream of extending human lifespans while maintaining health and vitality may move closer to reality.A groundbreaking discovery has shown that a new drug can extend the lifespans of laboratory animals by nearly 25%. This advancement has scientists hopeful that it may also slow the aging process in humans.
