A NEW drug has increased the lifespans of mice by nearly 25 per cent - and scientists hope it can have the same effect on humans. The treated mice were known as "supermodel grannies" in the lab because of how young and healthy they looked. 1 Both these mice are the same age, the one on the left has aged normally, while the one on the right has been given an anti ageing drug Credit: PA The animals lived healthier lives for longer and developed fewer cancers than their unmedicated peers.
The drug is already being tested on humans, but whether it will have the same impressive anti ageing effects is still unknown. Scientists have been trying to extend human life for centuries. In recent times, the type-2 diabetes drug metformin is one of the many drugs being researched for its anti ageing qualities.
Scientists at the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Medical Science and Imperial College London found that switching off a protein called interleukin 11 (IL-11) increased the healthy lifespan of mice. In humans, levels of this protein increase as people age, and it contributes to higher levels of inflammation in the body. The researchers believe it is this that flips several biological switches that control the pace of ageing.
The mice that were given treatment to purge IL-11 from their bodies lived for an average of 155 weeks, compared with 120 weeks in untreated mice. Most read in Health 'PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE' 'Omg' cry fans as Hydro hints major US singer is coming to Glasgow.
