Scientists discover protein that causes ageing

Summary

Singapore 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

00:00

🧬 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.

05:01

💊 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.

Keywords

💡Clinical Trials

Clinical trials are research studies that involve human volunteers to determine the safety and effectiveness of new medical interventions or treatments. In the context of the video, Singapore scientists are initiating clinical trials to explore the potential of a protein, Interleukin 11 (IL-11), in slowing muscle and strength loss associated with aging.

💡Interleukin 11 (IL-11)

Interleukin 11 (IL-11) is a protein that has been identified as a potential driver of aging in the video. The team from Duke N US discovered its role in causing tissue scarring, inflammation, and a decline in the body's ability to heal and regenerate, which are all associated with aging processes.

💡Aging

Aging is the natural process of growing older, which is characterized by a gradual decline in various bodily functions. The video discusses how IL-11 may be a key driver in this process, and blocking this protein could potentially increase healthy lifespans.

💡Tissue Scarring

Tissue scarring refers to the formation of fibrous tissue as a reparative response to injury or disease. In the video, it is mentioned that IL-11 causes tissue scarring, which is a characteristic of aging and can lead to a decline in the body's ability to heal and regenerate.

💡Inflammation

Inflammation is the body's natural response to harmful stimuli, including pathogens, damaged cells, or irritants. The video script highlights that IL-11 causes inflammation, which is a common feature in aging and can contribute to various age-related diseases.

💡Muscle and Strength Loss

Muscle and strength loss refer to the decline in muscle mass and physical strength that occurs with age. The video discusses how increased levels of IL-11 could contribute to this loss, which is a significant aspect of the aging process.

💡Fat Accumulation

Fat accumulation refers to the buildup of fat in the body, particularly in the liver and abdomen, which can lead to health issues. The video mentions that IL-11 is linked to increased fat accumulation, which is another symptom of aging.

💡Anti-IL-11 Therapy

Anti-IL-11 therapy involves the use of an antibody drug that binds specifically to IL-11, blocking its action. The video explains that this therapy could potentially counter aging by turning off the switches that drive the aging process, as seen in the mouse model studies.

💡Fibrotic Lung Disease

Fibrotic lung disease is a condition where lung tissue becomes damaged and scarred, leading to a decrease in lung function. The video mentions that anti-IL-11 therapies are currently in clinical trials for conditions such as fibrotic lung disease, not yet for aging.

💡Lifestyle Changes

Lifestyle changes refer to modifications in one's daily habits, such as adopting a healthy diet and regular exercise, to improve health and well-being. The video emphasizes the importance of these changes, particularly strength training and calorie restriction, in reducing aging symptoms.

💡Molecular Level

The molecular level refers to the scale at which chemical reactions and processes occur within the body's cells. The video discusses the potential of anti-IL-11 therapy to affect aging at the molecular level, suggesting it could be more effective than lifestyle changes alone.

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