Through inhibiting the key pathways of the enzyme Janus kinase (JAK), researchers of the Mayo Clinic Robert and Arlene Kogod Center on Aging found that inflammation, even chronic inflammation, may be reduced. Correspondingly, frailty may also be reduced.
The findings used data gathered from the test on aged mice that are the equivalent of humans aged 90 years. The mice were assessed before and after the Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors were applied. The researchers also applied these inhibitors to human cells in culture dishes.
While the inhibitors blocked JAK enzyme activities, they also decreased the release of "toxins" by the human senescent cells in the culture dishes. Senescence is not an inevitable track that all humans will go through; senescent cells contribute to age-related diseases and frailty. Among the aged mice, the use of the JAK inhibitors also pointed to a decrease in inflammatory mediators.
Within a two-month period, the aged mice were observed to have stronger grip, longer endurance and increase in physical activity.
According to Dr. James Kirkland, director of the Mayo Clinic Robert and Arlene Kogod Center on Aging: "One of the things we want to do is find some kind of treatment for this other than prescribing better wheelchairs or walkers, or other kinds of things that we are stuck with now that are Band-Aid solutions."
Dr. Kirkland clarifies, however: "Our goal is not necessarily to increase life span, and certainly not life span at all costs. Our goal is to enhance health span - the period during life when people are independent."
Dr. Kirkland says that using drug intervention as well other methods their team is working on may provide the key toward their health span goal. Further studies are definitely needed, but with these findings the research team is more confident that they are step closer to finding the solution for age-related frailty and other chronic conditions.
The study's findings may be seen in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.
