Chinese scientists have made a groundbreaking discovery in anti-aging research. Using the blood of young mice, researchers have extended the lifespan of laboratory mice to the human age of 120 to 130 years, the South China Morning Post reported.
The study, led by researchers from Nanjing University’s School of Life Sciences, focused on isolating anti-aging components found in the blood of young mice.
(Photo: China Photo/Getty Images)
Chengdu, China – August 3: (Outside China) On August 3, a white rat bearing a tumor used in cancer gene therapy research is examined at the National Key Laboratory of Biotherapy established by West China Medical College of Sichuan University. A researcher who does. , 2005, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, southwest China. According to local media, the institute uses thousands of white rats to conduct research into gene therapy, immunotherapy, cell therapy, and other fields.
Study reveals youthful blood components extend lifespan of mice
The study, published April 16 in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Aging, revealed some remarkable results. Twenty-month-old male mice, which typically have a lifespan of 840 days, were injected weekly with this blood component. The researchers observed a significant 22.7% increase in lifespan, with the longest surviving mice living up to 1,266 days.
Study co-leader Zhang Chenyu and colleagues said the injections extended lifespan and reduced age-related decline in various organs, including the hippocampus, muscles, heart, testicles, and bones.
However, the findings also raised concerns about ethical implications and the potential for misuse. Zhang addressed these concerns and emphasized that the potential treatment from this study would be administered as a drug rather than direct plasma exchange. He said the goal is to identify powerful rejuvenating factors for targeted therapy.
SCMP reports that this study elucidates a mechanism involving extracellular vesicles (sEVs) that is important in reversing age-related degenerative changes in older rodents. These sEVs are present in various body fluids, including blood, and transport nucleic acids and proteins between cells and mediate information exchange.
By recognizing and exploiting this mechanism, researchers observed longer survival times than in previous animal studies.
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Can blood exchange stop aging?
Although this breakthrough is important, we should also be aware of previous attempts at similar interventions. Billionaire technology entrepreneur Brian Johnson performed multigenerational plasma exchange with his son and father in hopes of affecting age-related brain decline. But after six rounds of juvenile plasma exchange, Johnson concluded that “no benefit was achieved.”
American blood transfusion startup Ambrosia previously sold juvenile plasma transfusions, but shut down after a warning from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The FDA also issued a statement opposing plasma transfer for age-related diseases, citing a lack of proven clinical benefit and potential risks.
Looking ahead, the Chinese research team acknowledges that their work is just the beginning. Many scientific questions need to be answered before discoveries can be put into clinical trials and developed into treatments. The researchers also said testing in large primates, which are similar to humans, is a necessary step in this process.
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