Blood plasma and longevity: Young blood plasma, a potential key to longevity
Sakura Minami, a researcher from the company Alkahest, found out a potential treatment for aging while experimenting on human blood plasma, the liquid part of blood. According to her findings, old mice that have been treated with blood plasma from human teens show an improvement in their memory, cognition and physical activity. This study was made possible thanks to previous research consisting in injecting blood plasma from young mice into old mice. These studies also showed that the blood injections could help rejuvenate the brain and other organs in old mice, though the blood came from young mice in that case. That is why Minami and her research team tried to find out if human blood from young people could have the same benefits.
Blood plasma and longevity: Injecting the mice with the blood plasma
Twice a week, Minami injected blood samples from 18-years-old humans into 12-month-old mice starting to show signs of ageing (slow movements and bad memory tests performance). After three week of treatment, the mice were submitted to a range of tests to collect data and compare them to those of a young population of mice (3 month old mice) and old mice who did not received injections.
Blood plasma and longevity: Young human blood plasma may increase neurogenesis
Mice on the treatment showed signs of strong neurogenesis, meaning that they created many more new neurons in the hippocampus. Consequently, the mice injected with the blood were much better at remembering their way around a maze than those untreated, proving that their memories improved. In addition to this, their mobility also greatly improved and they could run around just as the young mice.
Blood plasma and longevity: Blood plasma factors and trials tests
According to Sakura Minami, the factors responsible for the benefits of young human plasma could be found in the brain and elsewhere in the body. She also stated that though she successfully identified them, she will not make them known until she finds applications in anti-aging treatment. Indeed, she hopes to discover a treatment that might help people suffering from age-related brain diseases. Alkahest, the company employing Sakura Minami, is currently conducting trial tests and people suffering from Alzheimer are receiving young blood plasma.
Hans Luboya-Kombé
Author
Auteur
Hans is a process supports engineer after his masters in materials chemistry at the university of Paris-Est Créteil.
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Hans est aujourd’hui ingénieur support procédés après un master en chimie des matériaux à l’université de Paris Est Créteil.
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