Researchers have discovered that injecting 75-week-old mice with an anti-IL-11 antibody can mitigate the harmful effects of IL-11, a protein linked to aging-related disorders. This study was conducted by scientists at Imperial College London and the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Medical Sciences, in collaboration with Singapore’s Duke NUS Medical School. Their findings indicate that blocking IL-11 can extend mice’s healthy lives by over 25%, providing promising insights that might also apply to humans.
The researchers genetically modified mice to lack the interleukin 11 (IL-11) gene, allowing them to study the effects of IL-11. Additionally, they injected an anti-IL-11 antibody into 75-week-old mice to counteract the protein’s negative effects. The study, published in the journal Nature, suggests that potential treatments targeting IL-11 could impact longevity, though separate clinical trials are necessary for confirmation.
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IL-11 stands out from other proteins and rejuvenation therapies that have shown promise in animal models but have faced challenges in human clinical trials. Cathy Slack, a researcher on the biology of aging at the University of Warwick, UK, notes the opportunity to translate these findings into clinical therapies, highlighting the current stagnation in the field.
Chronic inflammation is recognized as a risk factor for aging-related disorders, as it causes the body to retain damaged proteins and other components. This can affect the immune system and lead to infections, resulting in further inflammatory reactions, cancer, or autoimmune diseases. While IL-11 has been studied for some time, its connection to aging was only recently discovered by molecular biologist Anissa Widjaja.
