A new drug has extended the lifespan of mice by nearly 25 percent, and scientists hope it will have the same effect in humans.
The treated mice were nicknamed “supermodel grannies” in the lab because of their youthful, healthy appearance.
The animals lived longer, healthier lives and developed less cancer than their unmedicated counterparts.
The drug has already been tested in humans, but it’s not yet clear whether it has the same impressive anti-aging effects.
Scientists have been trying to extend the human lifespan for centuries.
Recently, the type 2 diabetes drug metformin is one of many drugs being studied for its anti-aging properties.
Scientists from the Medical Research Council’s Institute of Medical Sciences and Imperial College London have found that blocking the action of a protein called interleukin-11 (IL-11) extends the healthy lifespan of mice.
In humans, levels of this protein increase with age, contributing to elevated levels of inflammation in the body.
Researchers believe this flips several biological switches that control the rate of aging.
Mice that received the treatment to flush IL-11 from their bodies lived an average of 155 weeks, compared with 120 weeks for mice that did not receive the treatment.
Old laboratory mice typically die from cancer, but those lacking IL-11 developed much lower levels of cancer.
They had improved muscle function, lost weight, had healthier coats and improved scores on many measures of frailty.
‘Very exciting’
“These findings are extremely exciting,” said co-corresponding author Professor Stuart Cook, from the UK Medical Research Council Institute of Medical Sciences (MRC LMS), Imperial College London and Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore.
“Treated mice had less cancer and showed fewer of the common signs of aging and frailty, but also experienced less muscle wasting and improved muscle strength.”
“In other words, the old mice that received anti-IL-11 were healthier.”
He added: “Previously proposed drugs and treatments to extend life either had bad side effects, were ineffective in both men and women, or extended life but not the healthspan, but this does not seem to be the case with IL-11.”
“Although these findings were only obtained in mice, they raise the intriguing possibility that this drug may have similar effects in older adults.”
“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.”
The scientists created mice lacking the gene that produces IL-11 and tested the effects of the protein.
This has increased the animals’ lifespan by more than 20 percent on average.
The researchers also treated 75-week-old mice (equivalent to about 55 human years) with injections of an anti-IL-11 antibody, a drug that blocks the action of IL-11 in the body.
According to the findings published in Nature, the average lifespan of mice given the drug from 75 weeks of age until death was extended by 22.4 percent in males and 25 percent in females.
Would it work for humans?
The question on everyone’s mind is: Will the drug have the same effect in humans? And if so, is it safe?
Until clinical trials are carried out, it won’t be known whether the same is true for humans, Prof Stewart said.
Several trials are underway testing anti-IL-11 therapies in people with certain inflammatory diseases, such as pulmonary fibrosis, but none are investigating their potential anti-aging effects.
However, available data suggested that the drug was safe to take.
Co-corresponding author Associate Professor Anissa Wijaya from the Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore said: “Although our study was carried out in mice, given that similar effects have been seen in studies of human cells and tissues, we are hopeful that these findings are highly relevant to human health.”
“This study is an important step towards a deeper understanding of aging, and we have demonstrated in mice a treatment that has the potential to extend healthy aging by reducing frailty and the physiological signs of aging.”
Ilaria Bellantuono, professor of musculoskeletal ageing at the University of Sheffield, added: “Overall, the data seems solid. This is a new treatment that targets a mechanism of ageing and has the potential to reverse frailty.”
But problems remain, including a lack of evidence for patients and the cost of producing such a drug, and “it’s unthinkable to treat every 50-year-old for the rest of their lives,” he said.
The effects of IL-11 inhibition in humans are not yet known.
From skipping dinner to having more sex, these 9 easy lifestyle changes can help you live longer
Skipping dinner, improving your balance, and snacking on nuts are just some of the important things we can do to live longer.
In his latest book, “How Not To Age,” Dr. Michael Greger highlights scientifically-backed solutions that can help prevent some of the diseases most associated with aging.
“Instead of the current piecemeal approach that focuses on individual degenerative diseases, why not slow down the ageing process?” says the 51-year-old American doctor.
“The good news is that there are many things we can do to extend our lifespan. We have a lot of power in our own choices.”
Here are some easy lifestyle changes that Dr. Greger suggests you can start making today.
Quick Work: Fasting gives our body a much needed break from carrying out its digestive functions.
This means that our cells can exert anti-aging effects, such as fighting free radicals and inflammation.
Many people skip breakfast or postpone their meal until late afternoon, but the key is to skip dinner.
Go Green: The lifestyle factor most closely related to aging is how much fruits and vegetables you eat.
Plants have biological processes that allow them to thrive, and by eating them we can take advantage of these.
Green leafy vegetables help the immune system and fight the effects of air pollution, so they should be on your plate every day.
Intuition: The bacteria in our gut play a wide range of roles throughout our body.
A healthy gut microbiome can impact your immunity, mental health, hormone balance and risk of disease.
A healthy intestinal environment may also reduce asthma attacks.
Your gut loves fiber, so include legumes and whole grains such as brown rice, oats, rye and spelt in your diet.
Let’s move it, let’s move it: Regular exercise reduces inflammation, reduces DNA damage, and preserves cognitive function.
It also increases the hunger hormone FGF21, a key factor in longevity.
What’s more, walking after a meal can lower blood sugar levels as effectively as some blood sugar-lowering medications.
Even 20 minutes of exercise can add an hour to your life, which is a huge gain.
Strengthening the immune system: The immune system naturally declines with age.
In developed countries, infectious diseases are the fourth leading cause of death among older people.
Vaccines often work less well in older people because they don’t mount as strong an immune response.
While 50-75% of young people have adequate antibody protection, this figure drops to 10-30% in older people.
Regular exercise, adequate sleep, and eating fruits and vegetables support the immune system, as do stress-reducing meditative activities.
Clogged: Constipation is not only unpleasant, but it can also be a sign of other illnesses.
If you strain when going to the toilet, you risk developing a hiatal hernia.
Straining can disrupt heart rhythm and reduce blood flow to the heart and brain, leading to bowel-related fainting and even death, a syndrome known as toilet death.
Brain Training Games: The average time from dementia diagnosis to death is five years.
However, dementia is not an inevitable consequence of aging.
The best advice is that what’s good for your brain is also good for your heart: keeping your blood pressure and cholesterol low helps both organs.
Ideally, vegetables, legumes, fruits and whole grains should replace meat and dairy products as the main staples in your diet.
Sexual Healing: As we get older, physical health issues can get in the way of our success in the bedroom.
But sex has health benefits for both your mind and body.
Endorphins are feel-good chemicals released during sex and have been shown to improve cellular function.
Healthy habits also reduce the risk of problems like erectile dysfunction.
- How Not To Age: The Scientific Approach to Getting Healthier As You Get Older by Dr Michael Greger (Bluebird, £22) is out now.
