• Scientists from Duke-NUS Medical School identify interleukin-11 (IL11) as key driver of ageing, linked to increased fat accumulation and muscle loss—hallmarks of ageing
• Blocking the effects of IL11 could potentially increase healthy lifespan, so-called healthspan
• Novel anti-IL11 therapies are already in clinical testing for lung fibrosis and trials to slow ageing processes are in planning

Singapore, 17 July 2024 — An ageing population will bring colossal health, social, and economic challenges over the coming decades[1]. As people live longer, staving off the physical decline and frailty that come with age has become a holy grail, with effective interventions projected to unlock significant societal and economic benefits. Estimates suggest that a slowdown in ageing that increases life expectancy by one year alone is worth US$38 trillion.[2] 

In a landmark discovery published in Nature, a team of scientists from Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore may have found a key to slow ageing.

The team demonstrated in preclinical models that the protein interleukin-11 (IL11) actively promotes ageing and that giving an anti-IL11 therapy not only counteracts the deleterious effects of ageing but also increases lifespan. Their discovery has the potential to play a significant role in countries’ efforts to help their population live more years in good health. Reed more>>

Source: Duke-NUS Communications

[1] https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/fandd/issues/Series/Analytical-Series/aging-is-the-real-population-bomb-bloom-zucker

[2] https://www.nature.com/articles/s43587-021-00080-0