Researching

It is possible that one or more proteins in the blood of young people can rejuvenate a range of organs including the brain of the elderly.

Can young blood transfusions help "improve youth"?

Animal studies show that the blood of young individuals can be transmitted to older individuals and this process positively affects brain activity. For example, it can help improve learning and memory and produce new brain cells. Now, researchers are looking to see if this effect is true for humans.

Can blood transfusion help "improve old age" - (Artwork)

Tony Wyss-Coray, a professor of neurology at Stanford University Medical School and colleagues published in JAMA Neurology, ' It is possible that one or more proteins in the blood of young people can be rejuvenated. A variety of organs including the brain of the elderly. This is a strong motivation to promote our research program. '

When studying rats, researchers selected a young and old mouse. They connect their blood vessels together, making them share a blood supply. For comparison, they injured an old mouse with another mouse of the same age but did not have a vascular connection. The researchers found a much more positive recovery in a blood-connected rat.

The muscles and bones of mice use faster recovery of blood from young mice. The experiment also later examined an increase in the number of new brain cells in the part of the brain that pertains to memory function.

Previously, a 2014 study also showed that when injecting young mice ' plasma into older mice for three weeks, the learning and memory ability of old mice improved significantly. Plasma does not contain blood cells, but it contains many other proteins and fish molecules.

Illustration of plasma cells in the blood

Researchers speculate that there are a number of factors that play 'messengers ' such as hormones or growth triggers in the blood. These factors interact with cell activity and play a role in rejuvenation in mice.

The blood of young individuals contains more compounds related to tissue repair and maintenance than older individuals, Wyss-Coray said.'We think that when transfusing young people's blood to the elderly, the number of' messengers 'will increase and make the brain and some other organs younger.'

In fact, scientists have shown that the CCL11 protein is common in older mice when transmitted to young mice that they reduce their ability to remember and accelerate the aging process. In contrast, when transmitting a growth factor named GDF11 to an old mouse, new brain cells are formed.

However, there are still many mysteries waiting for researchers. The big question is whether people react similarly to rats? Last year, a plasma infusion test for Alzheimer's patients was conducted. Participating patients receive blood from young volunteers once a week. They will be tested and do regular cognitive-related tests and the results are still waiting.
Dr. Marc L. Gordon, head of the Neurology Department at the hospital Zucker Hillside, New York, said the idea from Wyss-Coray's new article is very appealing. However, more detailed research is needed to know whether it will work.

First, researchers still do not know if the ability of mice to be true to humans, Gordon said. And even when the factors in the blood of young people can help older people produce more new brain cells, will this enhance their thinking and cognitive abilities?

In addition, there are some doubts about when strange growth factors appear in the body that can lead to cancer. Therefore, the safety check even during testing is very important.

Wyss-Corray, who leads the research team

In addition to being a professor at Stanford Medical University, Wyss-Coray is also the co-founder of Alkahest, a biotech company. It is clear that he and his research team have a lot of work to do if they want to prove that transfusion of young people to the elderly will make them " younger". Hopefully in the future, Wyss-Coray and his colleagues will achieve positive results in their research. In the future, if this becomes true, the medical industry and humanity will take a very long step forward.