Switching off inflammatory protein leads to longer, healthier lifespans in mice
Deactivating the inflammatory protein IL-11 significantly extends the lifespan and improves health in mice, showing promise for future applications in human aging and multimorbidity treatments.
Highlights
- Scientists discovered that deactivating the IL-11 protein extends the healthy lifespan of mice by up to 25%.
- IL-11 deletion and anti-IL-11 antibodies significantly reduced age-related diseases, particularly cancer.
- The research, published in Nature, suggests potential applications in human aging and multimorbidity treatments.
Inhibiting IL-11 can extend the lifespan
Researchers from the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Medical Science, Imperial College London, and Duke-NUS Medical School have found that inhibiting the protein IL-11 can extend the lifespan and health span of mice. By deleting the gene for IL-11 or administering an anti-IL-11 antibody to older mice, their median lifespan increased by 22.4% in males and 25% in females. These treatments reduced cancer and diseases linked to fibrosis, chronic inflammation, and poor metabolism, with few side effects. The results, published in Nature, highlight IL-11 as a pro-fibrotic and pro-inflammatory protein that contributes to ageing. This discovery opens possibilities for similar effects in humans, as anti-IL-11 treatments are already in clinical trials for other conditions. The research underscores IL-11’s role in promoting multimorbidity and frailty, offering a promising direction for future therapies aimed at improving healthy ageing.