Imagine if there was a pill that could extend your lifespan. A pill that could slow down aging. A pill that could prevent the diseases and debilitating conditions that come with old age. That would be wonderful. Wouldn’t that be incredible?
The good news is that anti-aging drugs are moving from science fiction to reality, with several promising research projects underway as scientists get closer to unraveling the molecular processes of aging and discovering drugs that can help us stay younger.
A team from the MRC Institute of Medical Research, Imperial College London and the Duke-NUS School of Medicine in Singapore has developed a drug that extends the lifespan of lab mice by around 25%. The drug is being tested in humans to see if it can replicate the anti-ageing effects.
Here’s what we know about the experiment and the drug:
What was the focus of your research?
The study targets interleukin-11 (IL-11), a protein that accelerates ageing. In their findings published in Nature, researchers from Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore showed that anti-IL-11 therapy could counteract the effects of ageing and extend lifespan.
What is Interleukin-11?
■ Interleukins are secreted cytokines that play a role in cellular functions.
■ According to a report in Nature, interleukin-11 is a non-glycosylated peptide consisting of 178 amino acids that acts as a growth factor and immune regulator.
■ This protein has been linked to chronic inflammation, scarring of organ tissue, metabolic disorders, muscle wasting, and cardiac fibrosis.
■ According to a BBC report, levels of IL-11 in the human body increase with age, promoting inflammation and “flicking several biological switches that control the pace of ageing.”
How did scientists discover IL-11’s impact on aging?
In 2018, researchers tested tissue samples and showed that IL-11 is a pro-fibrotic and pro-inflammatory protein.
“We carried out several experiments to look at IL-11 levels, and we clearly saw that IL-11 levels increase with age. These elevated levels contribute to adverse effects in the body, such as inflammation and inhibiting organ healing and regeneration after injury,” said co-corresponding author Anissa Wijaya from Duke-NUS Medical School.
What was the life extension experiment?
The researchers conducted two experiments: in the first, they used genetically modified rats that lacked IL-11 and found that removing the protein extended the animals’ lifespan by more than 20%.
In a second experiment, mice were injected with a drug that blocks the IL-11 protein from having harmful effects in the body, and the results were even more surprising: The lifespan of male and female rats increased by up to 25%. “Treatment with the anti-IL-11 drug from 75 weeks of age until death extended the average lifespan of male mice by 22.5% and female mice by 25%,” the Nature report states.
How did the anti-aging drugs work?
Mice treated with the anti-IL-11 drug maintained their youthful appearance and were healthier, stronger, and less susceptible to cancer than untreated mice. After just 25 weeks of treatment, the mice’s gray hair disappeared, their eyesight improved, their cholesterol levels dropped, their metabolism and muscle strength increased, and their risk of cancer decreased.
The 75-week-old animals (equivalent to 55 human years) lived an average of 155 weeks, compared with 120 weeks for untreated animals.
What did the scientists say?
“By reducing inflammation, we can slow the decline in health that occurs with age,” said co-corresponding author Stuart Cook, from the UK Medical Research Council’s Institute of Medical Sciences. “Not only did the treated mice have less cancer and avoid common signs of ageing and frailty, but they also experienced less muscle wasting and improved strength.”
Ilaria Bellantuono, professor of musculoskeletal ageing at the University of Sheffield, told the BBC: “Overall, the data seems solid. This is a new treatment that targets mechanisms of ageing and could help improve frailty.”
Are anti-IL-11 drugs being used in human clinical trials?
“Anti-IL-11 treatments are currently in clinical trials for other diseases, and there may be exciting opportunities to study their effects in older humans in the future,” Cook said. “Our goal is that one day anti-IL-11 therapies will be used as widely as possible, helping people around the world live longer, healthier lives.”
How do anti-IL-11 drugs work?
The drug was effective in preventing the loss of muscle mass and strength that occurs with chronic disease and aging, and also slowed the rate of telomere shortening.
Telomeres are found at the end of each chromosome. As we age, our telomeres shorten, making us more susceptible to diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
Does this anti-aging drug work for humans?
There’s no way to know. Human clinical trials are underway, and scientists hope to replicate the drug’s effects in mice.
What are senescent cells?
■ Senescent cells are cells that stop proliferating but do not die.
■ They release chemicals that can cause inflammation.
■ Senescent cells are said to be associated with age-related conditions such as cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and osteoarthritis.
■ It also contributes to a decline in eyesight, motor skills, and thinking ability.
What other drugs are being studied for their anti-aging properties?
Metformin, a drug used to treat type 2 diabetes, and rapamycin, which is used to prevent rejection after organ transplants, are also being studied for their anti-ageing properties.
California-based biopharmaceutical company Rubedo Life Sciences is conducting clinical trials of a drug called RLS-1469, which targets senescent cells that cause age-related diseases.
Senolytics are a new class of drugs that target senescent cells, also known as zombie cells, associated with aging. Some senolytics have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat diseases such as cancer.
Is there a drug that can prevent aging in humans?
As of now, there are no drugs that can stop or slow aging in humans. “There are no over-the-counter or prescription drugs that have been proven to slow aging in humans,” says Richard Miller, an aging expert at the University of Michigan.
But anti-aging drugs are no longer fiction: A breakthrough is on the horizon.
