Researchers here report a 20% increase in life span for adult mice given a gene therapy to express the circulating factor klotho. Evidence to date suggests that increased circulating klotho has minimal side-effects, and is wholly beneficial for at least cognitive function and kidney health. It remains unclear as to whether the more general benefits to health observed in animal models are downstream of improved kidney function, or are the result of the direct interaction between circulating klotho and cells in other tissues. Regardless, this is an encouraging study for those groups presently working on bringing klotho gene therapies to the clinic, or that are already providing such therapies via medical tourism.
Aging is a major risk factor for pathologies including sarcopenia, osteoporosis, and cognitive decline, which bring suffering, disability, and elevated economic and social costs. Therefore, new therapies are needed to achieve healthy aging. The protein Klotho (KL) has emerged as a promising anti-aging molecule due to its pleiotropic actions modulating insulin, insulin-like growth factor-1, and Wnt signaling pathways and reducing inflammatory and oxidative stress. Here, we explored the anti-aging potential of the secreted isoform of this protein on the non-pathological aging progression of wild-type mice.
The delivery of an adeno-associated virus serotype 9 (AAV9) coding for secreted KL (s-KL) efficiently increased the concentration of s-KL in serum, resulting in a 20% increase in lifespan. AAV9 vectors were delivered through a combination of intracerebroventricular (ICV) and intravenous (IV) injections, enabling efficient transduction of both the central nervous system and peripheral tissues. Notably, KL treatment improved physical fitness, related to a reduction in muscle fibrosis and an increase in muscular regenerative capacity. KL treatment also improved bone microstructural parameters associated with osteoporosis. Finally, s-KL-treated mice exhibited increased cellular markers of adult neurogenesis and immune response, with transcriptomic analysis revealing induced phagocytosis and immune cell activity in the aged hippocampus.
These results show the potential of elevating s-KL expression to simultaneously reduce the age-associated degeneration in multiple organs, increasing both life and health span.
Link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ymthe.2025.02.030
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