Blocking this protein in the body could slow the ageing process: Duke-NUS researchers
They are hoping to start clinical trials that can find the answer to slowing the muscle and strength loss as humans age.
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SINGAPORE: Researchers from the Duke-NUS Medical School have discovered a protein that actively promotes ageing.
Their study showed that as the body ages, organs express increasing levels of the interleukin-11 (IL-11) protein.
Raised levels reduce muscle mass and strength, and increase fat accumulation in the liver and abdomen – the hallmarks of ageing.
Hence, blocking this protein could potentially slow ageing and increase healthy lifespans.
“Ageing is driven by a small set of switches that get more and more active as we get older,” said Assistant Professor Anissa Widjaja from the Duke-NUS Medical School’s Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disorders Programme.
“If we can turn one or two of these (switches) off, it will cause our cells to regain their youthful functions so they can function better,” she told CNA’s Singapore Tonight on Thursday (Jul 19).
“And, IL-11 is one of these switches.”
THE DISCOVERY
Prof Widjaja, who is the first and co-corresponding author of the study, said the discovery was “pure luck and serendipity”.
In 2017, her team received tissue samples of different age groups while doing another study on the protein’s role in causing excessive scarring in the heart and kidney.
They found that the levels of IL-11 in the body increased with age.
“I was very confused in the beginning. We couldn't find any possible role of IL-11 in ageing in (published literature),” she recalled.
“During ageing, you have more tissue scarring, inflammation, and a decline in your body's ability to heal, repair and regenerate after injury,” she said.
As IL-11 causes similar responses in the body, her team established that the protein could be a key driver in the ageing process, she said.
EXPERIMENT TO COUNTER IL-11
The team started testing an anti-IL-11 therapy on mice in 2020 to find out its effects on countering ageing.
They conducted a 25-week experiment administering an antibody drug into mice by injection. The drug binds specifically to IL-11 and blocks the protein from acting.
Mice are considered excellent models for biomedical research as they are biologically similar to humans.
Researchers found that the mice’s metabolism improved. They shifted from generating white fat to beneficial brown fat, which breaks down blood sugar and fat molecules to help maintain body temperature and burn calories.
The team also observed improved muscle function and overall better health in the mice, and an increased lifespan by up to 25 per cent.
“With anti-IL-11 therapy, we saw improvements in all the features of ageing in the mice,” said Prof Widjaja.
“Given the effects of IL-11 in human and mouse cells that we have seen so far in our study … we think the likelihood that the anti-IL-11 therapy will work in humans is there.”
In the meantime, the team is raising funds and seeking partners to conduct clinical trials.
Prof Widjaja said the possibility of the anti-IL-11 therapy on humans is a long way off and will not be the key to the fountain of youth.
She added that exercise, a balanced diet, and a healthy lifestyle continue to be the best ways to age well.
