A groundbreaking new drug has been shown to extend lifespan, combat aging, and reduce cancer risk.
In a recent study, 75-week-old mice were injected with an anti-IL-11 antibody to counteract the detrimental effects of IL-11, a protein associated with aging.
Collaborating with Duke NUS Medical School in Singapore, researchers at Imperial College London and the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Medical Sciences found that blocking IL-11 can enhance mice’s healthspan by over 25%.
These promising results suggest potential benefits for humans, though further clinical trials are necessary to confirm this.
The study, published in Nature, involved genetically altering mice to lack the IL-11 gene and observing the effects.
This research highlights the significant role of IL-11 in aging and chronic inflammation, a known factor in age-related diseases.
Cathy Slack, a biologist from the University of Warwick, UK, noted the potential for translating these findings into clinical therapies, despite the challenges many rejuvenation treatments face when moving from animal models to human trials.
The discovery of IL-11’s role in aging, initially found by molecular biologist Anissa Widjaja, opens new avenues for addressing chronic inflammation and its links to cancer and autoimmune diseases.
