Blocking Inflammatory Protein IL-11 Extends Healthy Lifespan of Mice by 25%: New Study Reveals

Anti-IL-11 antibody treatment extended the lifespan of 75-week old mice by more than 20% for both male and female mice
Blocking IL-11 protein extends healthy lifespan of mice by 25%
Deletion of IL-11 gene in mice extended their lives by over 20% on average
IL-11 is a pro-inflammatory and pro-fibrotic protein, previously mischaracterized as anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic
Treatment reduced deaths from cancer and improved muscle strength, reducing diseases caused by fibrosis, chronic inflammation, and poor metabolism
Blocking Inflammatory Protein IL-11 Extends Healthy Lifespan of Mice by 25%: New Study Reveals

In a groundbreaking discovery, scientists have found that blocking the inflammatory protein IL-11 can significantly extend the healthy lifespan of mice by almost 25%. This was revealed in studies conducted by researchers at the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Medical Science and Imperial College London, as well as Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore.

The scientists discovered that IL-11 is a pro-fibrotic and pro-inflammatory protein, previously mischaracterized as anti-fibrotic and anti-inflammatory. IL-11 levels increase with age in both mice and humans, contributing to negative effects such as inflammation, preventing organ regeneration, and promoting signs of aging like frailty and muscle wasting.

To test the effects of IL-11 blockage, researchers created mice that had the gene producing IL-11 deleted. This extended the lives of the mice by over 20% on average. Additionally, they treated 75-week-old mice with an anti-IL-11 antibody and found that both male and female mice experienced a lifespan extension of more than 20%.

The treatment largely reduced deaths from cancer in the animals and improved muscle strength, reducing diseases caused by fibrosis, chronic inflammation, and poor metabolism which are hallmarks of aging.

Anti-IL-11 treatments are currently in human clinical trials for other conditions. This presents opportunities to study their effects on ageing humans in the future.

Multimorbidity (a range of conditions including lung disease, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, vision and hearing decline) and frailty are among the biggest global healthcare challenges of the 21st century. The findings from these studies could potentially lead to new treatments for age-related diseases in humans.

It is important to note that some amount of inflammation as we age is normal. However, excessive amounts damage cells, which is believed to accelerate aging. Stifling inflammation could therefore slow age-related declines in health.

Sources:

  1. EurekAlert! News Release: Switching off inflammatory protein leads to longer, healthier lifespans in mice (2024, July 17). MRC Laboratory of Medical Science / Duke-NUS Medical School.
  2. New Scientist: Anti-inflammatory drug extended the lifespan of mice by 20 per cent (2024, July 17).
  3. Financial Times: New anti-ageing therapy extends life of mice by 25%, study finds (2024, July 17).
  4. BBC News: Anti-ageing 'supermodel granny' drug extends life in animal tests (2024, July 17).

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Confidence

95%

Doubts
  • Are there any potential negative side effects to blocking IL-11 in humans?
  • Is it possible that the results in mice may not translate to humans?

Sources

85%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Anti-ageing 'supermodel granny' drug extends life in animal tests

BBC News Site: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-68702081, About Us URL: https://www.bbc.com/aboutthebbc/ James Gallagher Wednesday, 17 July 2024 21:32
  • Unique Points
    • A drug has increased the lifespans of laboratory mice by nearly 25% in a discovery that may slow human ageing.
    • The treated mice were healthier, stronger and developed fewer cancers than their unmedicated peers.
    • Genetically engineered mice unable to produce interleukin-11 lived longer and had fewer cancers.
    • The drug is being trialled in patients with lung fibrosis and the data suggests it is safe to take.
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (30%)
    The article does not clearly state the sources of the quotes from researchers and does not disclose any financial interests or conflicts of interest. Additionally, while it mentions that the drug is being tested in people, it does not link to any peer-reviewed studies supporting its effectiveness or safety in humans.
    • The drug is already being tested in people, but whether it would have the same anti-ageing effect is unknown.
  • Fallacies (95%)
    The author makes an appeal to authority with the quotes from Prof Stuart Cook and Prof Anissa Widjaja. He also uses inflammatory rhetoric with phrases like 'snake oil' and 'transformative' when describing the potential of the drug. However, no explicit logical fallacies were found.
    • ]I try not to get too excited, for the reasons you say, is it too good to be true? [/...]
    • There's lots of snake oil out there, so I try to stick to the data and they are the strongest out there.
    • [Overall, the data seems solid]
    • [This research is an important step toward better understanding ageing and we have demonstrated, in mice, a therapy that could potentially extend healthy ageing.]
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

95%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

New anti-ageing therapy extends life of mice by 25%, study finds

Financial Times Wednesday, 17 July 2024 21:33
  • Unique Points
    • A new anti-ageing therapy has extended the life of mice by 25% according to a study
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

85%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Scientists discover anti-ageing holy grail that can stop cancer – and grey hair – in its tracks

The Daily Telegraph Sarah Knapton Wednesday, 17 July 2024 00:00
  • Unique Points
    • Scientists have discovered an anti-ageing drug that could help people live longer and healthier lives.
    • Switching off a protein called interleukin 11 (IL-11) prevented cancer, boosted vision and hearing, and improved metabolism, lung health and muscle function in middle-aged mice.
    • Treated mice lived for an average of 155 weeks compared to 120 weeks in untreated mice.
    • Prof Stuart Cook stated that the treated mice were healthier with fewer cancers and improvements in muscle strength.
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (30%)
    The article makes several deceptive statements and uses sensational language to grab the reader's attention. The title itself is misleading as there is no 'anti-ageing holy grail' discovered yet, only a potential treatment for aging and cancer in mice. The author also uses emotional manipulation by describing the treated mice as 'sprightly with thick, glossy coats' and 'healthier,' while the untreated mice are described as having 'greying patches on their fur, hair loss, and weight gain.' This creates a false dichotomy between the two groups. The author also uses selective reporting by only mentioning the positive effects of the treatment without discussing any potential negative side effects or limitations. Lastly, there is no clear disclosure of sources in the article.
    • An anti-ageing drug that could help people to live longer and healthier lives is on the horizon after scientists extended lifespan in mammals by 25 per cent.
    • The old mice receiving anti-IL11 (treatment) were healthier.
    • The treated mice appeared sprightly with thick, glossy coats.
  • Fallacies (95%)
    The author makes several claims about the benefits of silencing interleukin-11 (IL-11) in mice, such as increased lifespan, reduced cancer incidence, improved muscle function and better lung health. However, these claims are based on research conducted on mice and have not been proven to be true for humans. Therefore, the author is making an appeal to authority fallacy by implying that the findings in mice can be directly extrapolated to humans without sufficient evidence. Additionally, the author uses inflammatory rhetoric by describing IL-11 as a 'redundant' gene that causes 'thickening and scarring of the tissues and inflammation, which brings ageing and disease.' This is an oversimplification of the role of IL-11 in biology and creates a negative perception without providing any evidence to support it.
    • ]The treated mice had fewer cancers, and were free from the usual signs of ageing and frailty, but we also saw reduced muscle wasting and improvement in muscle strength. In other words, the old mice receiving anti-IL11 (treatment) were healthier.[
    • Really excited Anissa Widjaja said: 'Out of curiosity, I ran some experiments to check for IL-11 levels. From the readings, we could clearly see that the levels of IL-11 increased with age and that's when we got really excited.'
    • The mice had stronger muscles, they had better lungs, they had better skin, better hearing, better vision, multiple improvements. So not only can we do it by deleting the gene from birth we can do it with a therapeutic drug given later in life which opens up this possibility of now taking this to humans.
    • Our aim is that one day, anti-IL11 therapy will be used as widely as possible, so that people the world over can lead healthier lives for longer.
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

98%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Anti-inflammatory drug extended the lifespan of mice by 20 per cent

New Scientist Magazine Grace Wade Wednesday, 17 July 2024 21:35
  • Unique Points
    • Study finds that blocking inflammatory molecule IL-11 extends lifespan of mice by over 20%.
    • Mice treated with anti-IL-11 therapy were less likely to develop cancer compared to control group.
  • Accuracy
    • A drug has increased the lifespans of laboratory mice by nearly 25% in a discovery that may slow human ageing.
    • Scientists have discovered an anti-ageing drug that could help people live longer and healthier lives. The drug extended lifespan in mammals by 25%.
    • Switching off a protein called interleukin 11 (IL-11) prevented cancer, boosted vision and hearing, and improved metabolism, lung health and muscle function in middle-aged mice.
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

99%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Switching off inflammatory protein leads to longer, healthier lifespans in mice

EurekAlert Wednesday, 17 July 2024 21:37
  • Unique Points
    • Scientists at the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Medical Science and Imperial College London discovered that switching off a protein called IL-11 can significantly increase the healthy lifespan of mice by almost 25%.
    • ,
    • The mice given the anti-IL-11 drug from 75 weeks of age until death had their median lifespan extended by 22.4% in males and 25% in females, living for an average of 155 weeks compared to 120 weeks in untreated mice.
    • The treatment largely reduced deaths from cancer in the animals and improved muscle strength, reducing diseases caused by fibrosis, chronic inflammation, and poor metabolism which are hallmarks of ageing.
    • IL-11 is a pro-fibrotic and pro-inflammatory protein; previously it was incorrectly characterized as anti-fibrotic and anti-inflammatory.
    • IL-11 levels increase with age in both mice and humans, contributing to negative effects such as inflammation, preventing organ regeneration, and promoting signs of ageing like frailty and muscle wasting.
    • Anti-IL-11 treatments are currently in human clinical trials for other conditions, potentially providing opportunities to study their effects on ageing humans in the future.
    • Multimorbidity (a range of conditions including lung disease, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, vision and hearing decline) and frailty are among the biggest global healthcare challenges of the 21st century.
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (95%)
    The article contains an appeal to authority fallacy when the authors quote Professor Stuart Cook and Assistant Professor Anissa Widjaja stating that 'These findings are very exciting.' and 'We hope that these findings will be highly relevant to human health.' This implies that their personal opinions make the research valid, which is not the case. Additionally, there is an inflammatory rhetoric fallacy in the title of the article: 'Switching off inflammatory protein leads to longer, healthier lifespans in mice'. The use of the word 'inflammatory' creates a negative connotation and implies that turning off this protein is desirable, without providing any context or explanation. However, no formal fallacies were found.
    • These findings are very exciting.
    • We hope that these findings will be highly relevant to human health.
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication