‘Supermodel granny’ drug increases lifespan of mice by up to 25 per cent, could have same effect in humans

The label “supermodel granny” may conjure up images of Jane Fonda lookalikes but, in this case, it refers to mice.

When the rodents were given a new drug, their lifespans dramatically increased and their youthful appearance was significantly extended.

The scientists, who came up with the “supermodel granny” term, say the findings raise the “tantalising” prospect that the drug could have a similar effect in elderly humans.

They hope the findings could one day extend healthy ageing in people by reducing frailty and other signs of advancing years.

In their experiments, the team from Imperial College London found that the lifespans of treated mice were extended by 25 per cent, while other benefits included boosts to vision, hearing and muscle function.

Other findings from the study, which was published in the journal Nature, suggested that the drug may be able to stop grey hairs –

and even hair loss – in its tracks.

Videos released by the team appear to show the rodents with thick, glossy coats while their untreated peers developed grey fur patches.

The treated mice lived for an average of 155 weeks, compared with 120 weeks in untreated mice.

The number of deaths from cancer was also lower in treated mice and diseases caused by chronic inflammation were reduced.

Essentially, the animals lived healthier lives for longer – and, according to the findings, there were very few side-effects.

The team, which included scientists from the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Medical Sciences, found that the drug worked by switching off a protein called IL-11. In humans, levels of this protein increase as people age, and past research has linked it to conditions associated with ageing.

Professor Stuart Cook, one of the study authors, said: “While these findings are only in mice, it raises the tantalising possibility that the drugs could have a similar effect in elderly humans.”