A recent scientific study has found that a medication increased the lifespan of laboratory animals by nearly 25%, a result that scientists hope could also slow down human aging. The mice that used the drug were known as “supermodel grannies” in the lab due to their youthful appearance. They were healthier, stronger, and developed less cancer than their non-medicated counterparts. The medication is already being tested in people, but it is not known if it would have the same anti-aging effect.
The quest for a longer life has been a part of human history. However, scientists have long known that the aging process is malleable – laboratory animals live longer if we significantly reduce the amount of food they eat. Now, the field of aging research is growing as researchers try to discover – and manipulate – the molecular processes of aging.
The team at the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences, the Imperial College London, and the Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore, was investigating a protein called interleukin-11. Its levels increase in the human body as we age and contribute to higher levels of inflammation. The drug triggers various “biological switches” that control the pace of aging.
The researchers conducted two experiments. The first set of mice were genetically modified to be unable to produce interleukin-11. The second set waited until the mice were 75 weeks old (equivalent to a 55-year-old person). They were regularly given a drug to eliminate interleukin-11 from their bodies. The results, published in the journal Nature, showed that life expectancy increased by 20 to 25%, depending on the experiment and the mice’s gender.
Older laboratory mice often die from cancer, however, the mice without interleukin-11 had much lower levels of the disease. They showed better muscle function, were leaner, had healthier fur, and scored better on many measures of frailty.
Professor Stuart Cook, one of the researchers, expressed optimism about the data. He believed it was worth testing on humans and argued that the impact would be transformative if the medication worked. The big unanswered questions are whether the same effect could be achieved in people and if side effects would be tolerable.
The drug, an engineered antibody that targets interleukin-11, is being tested in patients with pulmonary fibrosis, a condition where the lungs become scarred, making breathing difficult. Cook mentioned that the tests were not concluded, but the data suggested that the drug is safe for use.
This is just the latest approach to “treating” aging with medications. Drugs for type 2 diabetes, metformin, and rapamycin, which are taken to prevent organ transplant rejection, are actively being researched for their anti-aging qualities. Cook believed that a medication would likely be easier for people than caloric restriction.
Anissa Widjaja from the Duke-NUS Medical School expressed belief in the medication’s potential for extending healthy aging. While the research was done in mice, similar effects were observed in studies of human cells and tissues. Ilaria Bellantuono, a professor of aging at the University of Sheffield, noted that the data seemed solid and that this was another potential therapy targeting an aging mechanism that could benefit health.
However, issues remain, including the lack of evidence in patients and the cost of producing these medications. Bellantuono mentioned that it is unthinkable to treat every 50-year-old for the rest of their life.