Scientists discover protein that causes ageing
Summary
TLDRSingapore scientists are exploring the potential of a protein, Interleukin 11 (IL-11), as a key driver of aging. Assistant Professor Anaaya from Duke NUS Medical School discusses the serendipitous discovery of IL-11's role in muscle and strength loss, tissue scarring, and inflammation associated with aging. The team's findings suggest that blocking IL-11 could extend healthy lifespans. They are currently seeking funding for clinical trials in Singapore, with the hope that anti-IL-11 therapy could counter aging effects observed in mice, potentially translating to human benefits.
Takeaways
- 🧬 Singapore scientists are initiating clinical trials focused on slowing muscle and strength loss associated with aging.
- 🔬 A protein called Interlukin 11 (IL1) has been identified as a key driver of aging, and blocking it could potentially extend healthy lifespans.
- 🤔 Assistant Professor Anaaya from Duke N US Medical School discusses the role of IL1, emphasizing that it's not about achieving immortality but understanding the aging process.
- 💡 The discovery of IL1's role in aging was serendipitous, stemming from a study on heart conditions that revealed IL1 levels increased with age.
- 🧠 Aging is characterized by tissue scarring, inflammation, and a decline in the body's ability to heal, repair, and regenerate, all of which are influenced by IL1.
- 💪 The team found that organs produce increasing levels of IL1, which reduces muscle mass and strength and increases fat accumulation in the liver and abdomen.
- 🐭 Anti-IL1 therapy, an antibody drug, is being tested in mouse models to block IL1 and counter aging by turning off the switches that control aging processes.
- 🏥 Clinical trials for anti-IL1 therapy are underway, but they are currently focused on fibrotic lung disease, cancer immunotherapy, and eye disease, not aging.
- 🏋️♂️ Lifestyle changes such as exercise, strength training, and a healthy diet are recommended to reduce aging symptoms, but molecular changes are more effective in slowing the process.
- 💼 Professor Anaaya and her team are seeking funding and partners for a clinical trial focused on aging, aiming to demonstrate the potential of anti-IL1 therapy in humans.
Q & A
What is the main focus of the clinical trials that Singapore scientists are hoping to start?
-The clinical trials aim to find a way to slow muscle and strength loss as we age.
What is the protein Interlukin 11 (IL-11), and how does it relate to aging according to the research?
-Interlukin 11 (IL-11) is a protein that has been discovered to cause aging. Blocking this protein could potentially increase healthy lifespans.
How does Assistant Professor Anaaya define 'immortality' in the context of the research?
-Assistant Professor Anaaya does not believe in immortality, stating that humans are mortal and aging is driven by a set of switches that become more active as we get older, with IL-11 being one of them.
How did the research team discover the role of IL-11 as a key driver of aging?
-The discovery was made serendipitously in 2017 when the team received samples meant for another study and found that IL-11 levels were elevated with increasing age.
What are the effects of IL-11 on the body that are associated with aging?
-IL-11 causes tissue scarring, inflammation, and a decline in the body's ability to repair and regenerate, which are all associated with aging.
How do increasing levels of IL-11 affect muscle mass and strength, and fat accumulation in the body?
-Increasing levels of IL-11 reduce muscle mass and strength and increase fat accumulation in the liver and abdomen, which are symptoms related to aging.
What is the NTI IL-11 therapy, and how does it work to counter aging?
-NTI IL-11 therapy is an antibody drug that binds specifically to IL-11 and blocks its action, potentially turning off the switches that drive aging and allowing cells to regain their function.
What are the current applications of anti-IL-11 therapies, and are they available for the general public?
-Anti-IL-11 therapies are currently in clinical trials for fibrotic lung disease, cancer immunotherapy, and eye disease, but they are not yet available for the general public for aging.
How effective are lifestyle changes like healthy diets and exercises in reducing aging symptoms compared to molecular interventions?
-Lifestyle changes such as exercise and a healthy diet are beneficial, but Assistant Professor Anaaya emphasizes the need for discipline and compliance. Molecular interventions like anti-IL-11 therapy have shown improvements in aging features in mice.
What are the plans for the clinical trial, and what is the hope for its outcome?
-The team is raising funds and seeking partners, including pharmaceutical companies, to conduct a clinical trial for aging within Singapore, with the hope that anti-IL-11 therapy will prove effective in humans.
What is the significance of the relationship between the effects of IL-11 in human and mouse cells for the potential success of anti-IL-11 therapy in humans?
-The one-to-one relationship between the effects of IL-11 in human and mouse cells suggests a high likelihood that anti-IL-11 therapy, which has shown positive results in mice, will also work in humans.
Outlines
🧬 Discovering IL-11 as a Key Aging Factor
Singaporean scientists are conducting clinical trials to investigate the role of Interleukin 11 (IL-11) in the aging process. Assistant Professor Anaaya from Duke N US Medical School discusses the accidental discovery of IL-11's potential as a driver of aging. The team found that IL-11 levels increase with age, correlating with tissue scarring, inflammation, and a decline in the body's ability to heal and regenerate. These symptoms are associated with aging, and blocking IL-11 could potentially increase healthy lifespan. The discovery was made serendipitously in 2017 when the team analyzed samples from a different study and noticed elevated IL-11 levels in older age groups.
💊 Anti-IL-11 Therapy: A Potential Anti-Aging Treatment
The conversation with Assistant Professor Anaaya delves into the specifics of anti-IL-11 therapy, an antibody drug designed to bind to and block IL-11, thereby mitigating its aging effects. The therapy has shown promising results in mice, improving muscle mass, strength, and reducing fat accumulation. While the therapy is not yet available for public use, it is currently in clinical trials for other conditions such as fibrotic lung disease, cancer immunotherapy, and eye disease. Anaaya emphasizes the importance of a healthy lifestyle, including regular exercise and a balanced diet, especially starting around the age of 35 to 40, to complement any molecular interventions against aging. The team is actively seeking partnerships and funding to conduct clinical trials focused on aging within Singapore.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Clinical Trials
💡Interleukin 11 (IL-11)
💡Aging
💡Tissue Scarring
💡Inflammation
💡Muscle and Strength Loss
💡Fat Accumulation
💡Anti-IL-11 Therapy
💡Fibrotic Lung Disease
💡Lifestyle Changes
💡Molecular Level
Highlights
Singapore scientists are initiating clinical trials to address muscle and strength loss due to aging.
Researchers from Duke N US have discovered a protein, Interleukin 11 (IL-11), that may be linked to the aging process.
Blocking IL-11 could potentially increase healthy lifespans.
Assistant Professor Anaaya discusses the role of IL-11 in cardiovascular and metabolic disorders.
The concept of immortality is not supported by the scientific findings, emphasizing human mortality and the aging process.
Aging is driven by a set of 'switches' that become more active with age, with IL-11 being one of them.
The discovery of IL-11's role in aging was serendipitous, stemming from samples meant for another study.
IL-11's presence was found to increase with age, correlating with tissue scarring, inflammation, and a decline in healing and regeneration.
The organs produce increasing levels of IL-11, which is associated with reduced muscle mass, strength, and increased fat accumulation.
NTI IL-11 therapy works by binding to IL-11 and blocking its action, potentially reversing the aging process.
Anti-IL-11 therapies are currently in clinical trials for conditions other than aging, such as fibrotic lung disease, cancer immunotherapy, and eye disease.
Lifestyle changes like exercise and a healthy diet are encouraged to reduce aging symptoms, but molecular changes may be more effective.
The effectiveness of anti-IL-11 therapy has been observed in mice, with the potential for similar effects in humans.
The team is raising funds for a clinical trial focused on aging, aiming to conduct the trial in Singapore.
The goal is to collaborate with partners and pharmaceutical companies to pursue the direction of aging research.
The likelihood of anti-IL-11 therapy working in humans is considered promising based on the relationship between IL-11 effects in human and mouse cells.
Transcripts
Singapore scientists are hoping to start
clinical trials that could find the
answer to slowing the muscle and
strength loss as we age now the team
from duke n us has discovered a protein
called interlukin 11 or il1 that causes
aging blocking this protein could
potentially increase healthy lifespans
now for more on this I'm now joined by
assistant professor anaaya from the
cardiovascular and metabolic disorders
program at Duke N US Medical School
Professor welcome to the studio so the
big question is is
il1 the key to immortality well I don't
really get the idea of immortality
personally I don't believe in
immortality um I think we are all human
we are all um Mortal and we are all
aging and aging is driven by a small set
of switches that gets more and more
active as we get older and i1 is one of
the witches so this protein i11 it's not
new to science apparently but how did
you and your team discover its role as
the key driver of Aging it's uh really
pure luck pure Serendipity back in 2017
we received these samples from our
collaborator it's meant for another
study and at that time I was already
working with interlukin 11 and its role
in the heart so I thought to myself why
not just see whether um I could see this
I 11 in the samples because it happened
that these samples come from different
age group and lo and behold um we found
that I are elevated with increasing age
yeah how do you feel upon that Discovery
in 2017 it was uh we very confused
actually in the beginning because we
went back to literature and we couldn't
see any uh possible role of I 11 in
aging and and then we looked
again we read a lot and we saw that okay
what happened in aging what happened in
aging is you have more tissue scarring
you have more inflammation and you have
a decline in your body ability to heal
to repair and regenerate uh after injury
and then we look at i1 what i1 does i1
causes tissue scarring i1 causes
inflammation and i1 causes a decline in
our body ability to repair and
regenerate so all these measures okay
plus the fact that see that I elevated
are elevated with aging we thought okay
this is so interesting and perhaps I
could be a key driver in aging process
and your team also found that our organs
produce increasing levels of il11 and
that reduces muscle mass and strength um
as well as increase fat accumulations in
the liver and abdomen how are these
symptoms related to aging yeah so with
with aging all our cells in the body
they accumulate damage factors damage
protein damage DNA damage mitochondria
and with this damage Factor accumulation
of this stat factors this makes your fat
tissue um have less ability to burn
calories this makes your muscle um less
strong less strong and then this makes
your fat tissue also has less ability to
remove the fat efficiently so Professor
you know explain to us more about the
NTI l11 therapy how it works in
countering aging we all want to know
this okay so anti therapies are an
antibody drug um we administer it um in
our Mouse model fire injection and it
acts by binding specifically to i1 and
blocking it from its action and in aging
this turn off the switches that I
mentioned just now and because aging is
only controlled by a small set of
switches if you turn off one or two of
this off this will cause all our cells
to regain their F function so they can
function better so anybody can take this
therapy uh they not um in on the market
yet okay they are in clinical trials but
not for aging they are for fibrotic lung
disease for cancer immunotherapy and for
eye disease okay so how far would
lifestyle changes though like healthy
diets um exercises go in reducing these
aging symptoms or is change at the
molecular level the most effective at
slowing down the process okay so yes
like exercise strength training yeah go
for it I think uh everyone should uh
exercise regularly calorie restriction
healthy diet you probably have to start
when you are like about what 35 40 year
old because that's when ear yeah when
you realize that your body has slower
metabolism but you have to be very
compliant you have to be very
disciplined um if not it's very
difficult to see uh on obvious effect
I mean personally I feel it's very
miserable but with anti1 we see
improvements uh in all the features of
Aging that we observe in mice I uh
emphasize that this is this is in mice
but given one and one toone relationship
between the effects of i1 in human and
mou cells that we have seen so far in
our study others have shown it as well
uh very independent of us both in
academic Institution and pharmaceutical
company so we think um the likelihood
that anti-ant therapy will work in human
is there okay so earlier you talked
about um this clinical trial you and
your team are raising funds for it so
share with us more about your plans and
what do you hope to achieve from that
trial um we are uh talking to Partners
uh trying to speak to individuals and
maybe um pharmaceutical companies who
are are already in aging field
especially those with um substantial
funding support maybe and try to find a
way that um maybe with our data to
encourage and Inspire them if they could
think um to pursue this important
Direction and what we would like to
achieve is that this is my hope that we
can do trial for aging within the
country in Singapore that's very
interesting Professor thank you very
much for coming in into the studio to
this there was assistant professor
anaaya from the cardiovascular and
metabolic disorders program at Duke us
medical school
Ver Más Videos Relacionados
Reversing Skin Aging with Collagen Peptides [11 Studies Later]
Protein: How Much and What Kind Is Best for Healthy Aging | Educational Video | Biolayne
이 천연물질 덕분에 매일 아침, 더 젊게 깨어납니다!🌜멜라토닌 Journey Part 4🌛
Improve Hair, Skin & Nails: Grass Fed Collagen Peptides | Anti Aging Tips Home Remedies
Gravitas: Losing teeth? This drug can re-grow them | WION
Can Exercise Reverse Aging? How to Exercise to Age Well
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)