It’s something that many people have yearned for, for as long as time’s existed – eternal youth (or at least to always look young). Well, those people may have just got their wish as researchers discover that a particular protein added to blood cells, appears to make them young again. Whether or not this look is permanent and could be used in the battle against the effects of aging remains to be seen.
The team behind the research is looking to develop a drug that could be used to boost older people’s immune systems and “make old blood young again,” as one of the researchers commented. For many years researchers have believed the secret to prolonging life was in the youthful blood, but experiments of this nature have always produced mixed results. A startup company called Ambrosia will ship out a two-liter bagful of a young person’s blood for $8,000 and is currently being billed as a clinical trial. Whether it turns out to be reputable or not remains to be seen.
Dennis Kunkle Microscopy/Science Photo Library
What it boils down to is that no one really knows why young blood has a rejuvenating effect, or even if blood is the most important aspect of it. Last year researchers managed to increase the life span of mice by 30 percent by controlling the expression of certain genes within them. This was achieved by genetically engineering mice, so they had extra copies of genes that were capable of turning back one’s biological clock.
Related Links;
- Old blood can be made young again and it might fight aging / New Scientist
- Protein Hints at a Fountain of Youth in Blood / MIT
- Young Blood Reverses Signs of Aging in Old Mice / MIT
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