Health: Meet the protein that IMPROVES aging

With age, it's natural for humans to lose muscle and bone mass, which leads to increased weakness, which can lead to falls and serious injuries. EFE / UAB

An international study led in Spain by the Institute of Neurosciences at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) shows that increasing levels of the Klotho protein prolongs life expectancy and improves physical and mental health as we age.

This study, published in the journal Molecular Therapy, was led by Professor Miguel Chillón, a researcher at Icrea (Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies) and the UAB Institute of Neurosciences (INc-UAB).

The team that conducted this research has shown that increasing levels of the secreted form of Klotho protein (s-KL) improves aging in young mice that underwent gene therapy to increase the secretion of s-KL in their cells.

At 24 months of age, equivalent to about seventy years in humans, they found that the treatment had improved the animals' muscular, bone, and cognitive health.

According to Professor Miguel Chillón, his team had been working with the Klotho protein for some time due to its therapeutic potential in treating neurodegenerative diseases, and in this study they wanted to test whether s-KL could also be beneficial for healthy aging, for which they analyzed a wide range of aspects.

Mice treated with s-KL lived longer

Mice treated with s-KL lived 15–20% longer and showed improved physical performance, increased muscle regeneration capacity, and less fibrosis, indicating better muscle health.Improvements in bone health were also seen, particularly in females, with greater preservation of the internal structure of bones (trabeculae), suggesting potential protection against osteoporosis.Finally, in the brain, treatment with s-KL promoted the generation of new neurons and increased immune activity in the hippocampus, indicating potential cognitive benefits.Treatment with viral vectors involves introducing copies of the gene for the protein to be produced into the body’s cells so that they begin to manufacture it autonomously.

In mice, these vectors were administered intravenously and cerebrally to ensure that brain cells also produced s-KL.

Viral vectors to deliver therapy

Currently, vectors have been developed that reach the brain after being administered intravenously, which could facilitate the safe transfer of this therapy to humans, while another option would be to administer the protein directly as a drug, instead of using viral vectors. However, "we still need to find the most efficient way to administer this therapy and ensure that it reaches the target organs," explains Joan Roig-Soriano, a researcher at INc-UAB and another of the authors of the study. The research group had already patented the use of Klotho to treat cognitive deficits and, following this work, they have generated three new patents, which protect the use of Klotho to treat bone and muscle deficits, as well as to develop therapies that increase longevity. Improving people's quality of life Researchers believe that, if a viable form of administration is found, s-KL could significantly contribute to improving people's quality of life and achieving the healthiest possible society. With age, it is natural for humans to lose muscle and bone mass, which entails an increase in weakness, which can lead to falls and serious injuries. Furthermore, at a cognitive level, neurons progressively degenerate and lose connections, while the prevalence of diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's increases.

In an increasingly aging society, mitigating these effects is one of the main challenges of scientific research.

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