A drug has extended the lifespan of laboratory animals by nearly 25 percent, and scientists hope it could also slow human aging.
Mice given this drug were called "grandmother supermodels" because of their youthful appearance.
They were healthier, stronger and less developed cancer compared to animals that were not given the drug.
The drug has already begun to be tested in humans, but it is not known whether it will slow down aging in the same way.
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The history of mankind is permeated with the search for a longer life.
Scientists know that aging can be influenced - laboratory animals live significantly longer if they eat less food.
Research in this area is booming as researchers try to discover, and influence, the aging process at the molecular level.
A team consisting of researchers from the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences, London's Imperial College and Duke - NUS Medical School from Singapore examined the interleukin-11 protein.
The level of this protein, which increases as people age, contributes to the creation of inflammatory processes.
Researchers say it also activates several biological triggers that control the rate of aging.
A longer, healthier life
The scientists conducted two experiments.
In the first experiment, they genetically modified mice so that they could not produce interleukin 11.
In the second experiment, they waited until the mice were 75 weeks old (which is approximately 55 years in the human world) and then regularly gave them a drug to expel interleukin 11 from the body.
The results, which are published in the journal Nature, showed that the lifespan of mice was extended by between 20 and 25 percent, depending on the experiment they participated in and their gender.
The mice also had better muscle function - they were leaner, had healthier fur and showed better results on many tests for the risk of serious health conditions.
I asked one of the researchers, Professor Stuart Cook, if the data was too good to be true.
“I'm trying not to get too excited for the same reason you mentioned - is it too good to be true?
"There are many examples of 'sugar water' so I try to stick to the data."
He says that he "definitely" thought it was worth investigating the effect of the drug on aging people, stating that the drug, if it worked, would have a "transformative effect".
He adds that he would be ready to take it himself.
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But what about people?
The big unanswered question is whether the drug could have the same effect on humans and whether the side effects would be tolerable.
Interleukin 11 has a specific role during early development.
A small number of people are born without the ability to produce this hormone.
It changes the way the bones of the skull fuse together, affects the joints and how the teeth grow, as well as the formation of scars.
Scientists think that later in life, interleukin 11 plays a negative role in affecting aging.
The drug, which contains an artificially made antibody that attacks interleukin 11, is being tested in patients with pulmonary fibrosis.
This disease leads to scarring of the lungs, making it difficult for people to breathe.
Professor Cook says the trial is not complete, but the data suggest the drug is safe.
This is the last attempt to "cure" aging.
The type 2 diabetes drugs metformin and rapamycin, which prevents rejection of transplanted organs, are also being tested for their effects on slowing aging.
Professor Cook believes that it is easier for people to take medicine than to restrict their calorie intake.
"From the age of 40, do you want to live half-starved, have a completely unpleasant life, so that you could live five years longer at the end?
"I wouldn't want that," he says.
Professor Ilaria Belantuno, from the University of Sheffield, said this could be another potential therapy that affects aging mechanisms.
However, she added that there are problems, including the lack of evidence of its effectiveness among patients and the cost of producing such drugs.
"It's unthinkable to treat every 50-year-old for the rest of his life," she said.
Watch the video: A man trying to turn back the years
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