Blocking IL-11, a pro-inflammatory protein, extended lifespan and improved health in mice, reducing frailty and metabolic decline. Inhibiting IL-11 led to a lifespan increase of up to 25%, showing promise as a therapeutic target for enhancing human healthspan.
July 2024 – Nature
Key Takeaways
- Inhibiting IL-11 significantly reduces age-related frailty and improves metabolism in older organisms: IL-11, a pro-inflammatory protein, has been shown to accelerate frailty and metabolic dysfunction in ageing tissues. Blocking IL-11 helps reduce these symptoms by lowering inflammation, which in turn allows muscles to function better and prevents the typical metabolic decline seen with ageing. This reduction in frailty could lead to better overall health and functionality in later life
- Blocking IL-11 leads to an increase in lifespan of up to 25%, demonstrating a potential for extending longevity: In studies on mice, inhibiting IL-11 not only improved health but also extended lifespan by up to 25%. Both male and female mice experienced this extension, indicating that IL-11 plays a key role in regulating the ageing process across sexes. By reducing chronic inflammation, IL-11 inhibition appears to prevent multiple age-related diseases, thus promoting longevity
- IL-11 is a key driver of inflammation and metabolic decline, which accelerates ageing processes: The rise of IL-11 with age contributes to systemic inflammation and disrupts metabolic processes. This pro-inflammatory protein has been linked to the breakdown of tissue regeneration and healing, worsening frailty and multi-morbidity. Targeting IL-11 helps slow down these processes, preventing the harmful effects of inflammation that speed up ageing and decline in tissue function
Anti-IL-11 therapies, currently being trialled for other conditions, could be applied to ageing to extend healthspan—the period of life spent in good health—by reducing frailty and age-associated diseases. Given its role in modulating inflammation, IL-11 inhibition may serve as an intervention for ageing, potentially offering a novel way to delay or prevent common age-related health issues.
Read the article at: Widjaja, A.A., et al. “Inhibition of IL-11 Signalling Extends Mammalian Healthspan and Lifespan.” Nature, vol. 632, no. 8023, 2024, pp. 157-165. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-07701-9.