LONDON: Scientists at the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Medical Sciences and Imperial College London have made a breakthrough in aging research with the development of a new drug that targets IL-11, a protein linked to aging and age-related diseases.
The researchers, in collaboration with Duke NUS Medical School in Singapore, conducted experiments using genetically modified mice to explore the effects of IL-11 inhibition. They discovered that neutralizing IL-11 with an anti-IL-11 antibody injection extended the healthy lifespan of 75-week-old mice by nearly 25%.
IL-11 is known to play a significant role in chronic inflammation, a process implicated in various age-related diseases such as cancer, autoimmune disorders, and overall deterioration in health.
Published in the journal Nature, the study highlights the potential of IL-11 inhibition as a therapeutic approach to combat aging and its associated health issues. While the results are promising in animal models, the researchers emphasize the need for clinical trials to validate these findings in humans.
“This new research opens a pathway towards developing treatments that could not only extend lifespan but also improve healthspan – the number of years lived in good health,” explained Dr. Anissa Widjaja, molecular biologist and lead researcher at Imperial College London.
The development of anti-IL-11 therapies marks a significant advancement in the field of rejuvenation interventions, distinguishing it from previous approaches that have struggled to progress beyond animal studies.
“There’s a real opportunity here to translate this into clinical therapies,” commented Cathy Slack, a researcher specializing in aging biology at the University of Warwick, UK. “This breakthrough could potentially revolutionize how we approach aging-related diseases.”
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Chronic inflammation, exacerbated by proteins like IL-11, has long been recognized as a driver of age-related health decline. By targeting IL-11, scientists aim to mitigate inflammation and its cascading effects on the immune system, reducing susceptibility to diseases associated with aging.
“While there is still much to explore, our findings provide a solid foundation for further research and development of anti-IL-11 drugs for human trials,” added Dr. Widjaja.
