Longevity & AgingOne Protein Fights Inflammaging and Made Aging Mice Stronger and Healthier
Researchers at the University at Buffalo identified a protein called tristetraprolin (TTP) that helps control the low-grade chronic inflammation associated with aging, known as inflammaging. As people age, TTP levels naturally decline, allowing inflammatory signals to accumulate and damage tissues. In a six-year NIH-funded study, scientists genetically modified elderly mice to maintain stable TTP levels. Those mice showed measurable improvements in strength, energy, and bone health compared to untreated aging mice. The findings, published in Aging and Disease, suggest that restoring TTP activity could one day become a therapeutic strategy to reduce frailty, preserve independence, and extend healthspan in older adults.
