2024-07-21 21:14:04
Scientists have made an amazing discovery that scientists hope will slow down human aging. A drug has succeeded in extending the lifespan of laboratory animals by about 25%, and the drug is already being tested on humans.
The experiment was conducted on mice known as “granny models” because of their youthful appearance despite their advanced age. It showed that the mice that received the drug were healthier, stronger and developed fewer cancers than their untreated peers.
The drug is already being tested on humans, but it is not yet known whether it will have the same anti-aging effect, according to a report published by the BBC.
The team at the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences, Imperial College London and Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore examined the protein responsible for the process, called interleukin-11.
Levels of this protein increase in the human body as we age, and it contributes to higher levels of inflammation. In turn, the researchers explained that the protein interleukin-11 flips many of the biological switches that control the rate of aging.
Longer, healthier life
In detail, the researchers conducted two experiments, the first on genetically modified mice that were unable to produce interleukin 11.
The second was a group that waited until they were 75 weeks old, roughly equivalent to a 55-year-old person, and then regularly gave them a drug to clear their bodies of interleukin-11.
The results, published in the journal Nature, showed that average lifespan increased by 20-25% depending on the experiment and the sex of the mice.
Old laboratory mice often die of cancer, but mice lacking interleukin 11 had much lower levels of the disease.
They showed improved muscle function, were leaner, had healthier fur, and scored better on several measures of frailty.
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2024-07-21 21:14:04