A new study with mice explored whether “young” blood could increase lifespan.
The study, published in the journal Rejuvenation Research, analysed mice’s blood with heterochronic parabiosis, which is a research tool used to assess the effect of organs and of blood-borne factors on young and old animals.
Parabiosis is a model of blood sharing between two surgically connected animals and it’s less controlled than direct blood exchange.
Researchers surgically joined young and old mice in order to share their blood circulation for three months. Results showed that older mice did not significantly benefit from the blood of younger mice when it came to extending lifespan.
However, younger mice who were exposed to the blood of older mice had a significant reduction in lifespan.
“The most robust and interesting result of this study is the fact of a significant decrease in the lifespan of young mice from heterochronic parabiotic pairs,” stated the researchers.
“This data supports our assumption that old blood contains factors capable of inducing ageing in young animals,” they added, “Finding and selective suppression of ageing factor production in the organism could be the key research field for life extension.”
The study has now been interrupted by the war in Ukraine but, it has opened new doors for further research on blood exchange and longevity.
Professor at the University of California Irina Conboy said: “This work clarifies the question whether the young blood or old blood control longevity. Are there lasting effects of heterochronic parabiosis and if so, is it a rejuvenation or ageing?.
“This study established that the lifespan of the old mice does not increase after being parabiosed to young mice. In contrast, the young animals that were joined with the old mice suffer a shortened lifespan, even after being disconnected.
“This discovery is important in establishing the accurate direction for clinical anti-ageing approaches and in providing key scientific evidence against the potency of the young blood factors in an aged organism.”
