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'''Young blood transfusion''' refers to the transfusion of blood taken from a young person into an older person with the intention of having a medicinal effect beyond that of a normal [[blood transfusion]].<ref name=sbm>{{cite news|last1=Novella|first1=Steven|title=Parabiosis – The Next Snakeoil|url=https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/parabiosis-the-next-snakeoil/|work=Science-Based Medicine|date=3 August 2016}}</ref> |
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'''Young blood transfusion''' refers to the transferral of blood from a young source into an older animal with the intention of having a medicinal effect beyond that of a normal [[blood transfusion]]. Tests in mice have returned favourable results and clinical trials involving humans are ongoing. The practice is seen as being a "current trend" in [[regenerative medicine]] and [[life extension]] while news reports relate it to various tales of [[immortality]]. |
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There is no good evidence that "young blood" has any medicinal effect in people and all blood transfusions have risks, including [[blood-borne disease]]s.<ref name=sbm/> As of of 2017 evidence from two large studies showed that transfusion of blood from younger donors was either no different from, or led to ''worse'' outcomes than, blood from older donors.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Garraud|first1=O|title=Younger blood from older donors: Admitting ignorance and seeking stronger data and clinical trials?|journal=Transfusion and apheresis science : official journal of the World Apheresis Association : official journal of the European Society for Haemapheresis|date=August 2017|volume=56|issue=4|pages=635-636|doi=10.1016/j.transci.2017.07.002|pmid=28780993}}</ref> Research on blood transfusion outcomes has been complicated by the lack of careful characterization of the transfusion products that have been used in clinical trials; research had focused on how storage methods and duration might affect blood, but not on the differences among lots of blood themselves.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Ning|first1=S|last2=Heddle|first2=NM|last3=Acker|first3=JP|title=Exploring donor and product factors and their impact on red cell post-transfusion outcomes.|journal=Transfusion medicine reviews|date=January 2018|volume=32|issue=1|pages=28-35|doi=10.1016/j.tmrv.2017.07.006|pmid=28988603}}</ref> |
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==Trials on mice== |
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Neuroscientist Tony Wyss-Coray leads a team of researchers at [[Stanford University]] investigating the use of young blood transfusions in mice. A study published by them in 2014 detailed the results of several tests including [[parabiosis]] in mice; as part of their investigations they sutured two mice of different ages together, with both animals sharing a [[circulatory system]]. The study concluded that the blood from the younger mouse contributed to improved [[synaptic plasticity]] in the older mouse and this consequently led to a perceived improvement in learning and memory. They also demonstrated that a transferral of a young mouse's [[blood plasma]] into an older mouse allowed the latter to significantly improve in certain tasks related to learning and memory. In 2017 a further study by Wyss-Coray and his team was published in ''[[Nature (magazine)|Nature]]''. This showed that older mice could benefit from blood transfused from human [[umbilical cord]]s. They claim that this appears to "rejuvenate an old brain and make it work more like a younger one".<ref name="SA17" /> In a 2017 article published in ''[[The Economist]]'' the effects in mice were labelled "spectacular" but the author made the point that the reason why was not clear.<ref name="Eco17" /> |
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A company called Alkahest was spun out of Stanford University based on research in rodents done by scientists there; the company is collaborating with [[Grifols]] to create a [[blood plasma]]-based experimental [[Biopharmaceutical#Extracted_from_living_systems|biologic]] drug, which they propose to test in people with Alzheimer's.<ref name=Trends2017>{{cite journal|last1=de Magalhães|first1=JP|last2=Stevens|first2=M|last3=Thornton|first3=D|title=The Business of Anti-Aging Science.|journal=Trends in biotechnology|date=November 2017|volume=35|issue=11|pages=1062-1073|doi=10.1016/j.tibtech.2017.07.004|pmid=28778607}} {{open access}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last1=Drew|first1=L|title=Neuroscience: The power of plasma.|journal=Nature|date=27 September 2017|volume=549|issue=7673|pages=S26-S27|doi=10.1038/549S26a|pmid=28953857}}</ref> |
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In 2018 a study by Dr. Saul Villeda, an assistant professor at the [[University of California]], published new findings in journal ''[[Cell Reports]]''. Villeda suggests that old brains may have "dormant plasticity" which can be utilised. "Young blood" has the ability to stimulate significant changes in [[DNA]] as regulated by the [[Tet methylcytosine dioxygenase 2|TET2]] [[enzyme]]. Older brains have lower levels of TET2 with the [[hippocampus]], the area of the brain associated with memory and learning, being particularly deficient. Villeda believes that DNA manipulation might allow scientists to "make an organism younger again".<ref name="CBC18" /> |
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Ambrosia is a company that sells what it calls "young blood transfusions" for $8,000 under the guise of running a [[clinical trial]] to see if such transfusions lead to changes in the blood of recipients.<ref name=sbm/><ref name=Trends2017/> [[Peter Thiel]] is an investor in Ambrosia; [[regenerative medicine]] was a fad in [[Silicon Valley]] starting in the 2000s.<ref name="Inc">{{cite news|url=https://www.inc.com/jeff-bercovici/peter-thiel-young-blood.html|title=Peter Thiel Is Very, Very Interested In Young People's Blood|surname=Bercovici|first=Jeff|work=Inc|date=1 August 2016}}</ref><ref name="MIT17">{{cite news|url=https://www.technologyreview.com/s/603242/questionable-young-blood-transfusions-offered-in-us-as-anti-aging-remedy/|title=Questionable "Young Blood" Transfusions Offered in U.S. as Anti-Aging Remedy|publisher=MIT Technology Review |last=Maxmen |first=Amy |date=13 January 2017}}</ref> |
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==Human tests== |
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Tests in humans have shown changes to [[biomarker]]s which relate to [[cardiovascular disease]], [[cancer]], and [[Alzheimer's disease]]. Ambrosia, a company founded by Jesse Karmazin, have proceeded to trial the transfer of blood plasma from people aged between 16 and 25 into willing and healthy recipients aged 35 and older. All 70 of those who received a transfusion paid $8,000 each for the treatment. Karmazin claims in an interview with ''[[New Scientist]]'' that "Whatever is in young blood is causing changes that appear to make the ageing process reverse". He pointed to how [[carcinoembryonic antigen]]s fell by around 20 per cent and stated that most participants showed improvements within a month.<ref name="NS17" /><ref name="MIT17" /> The news was however greeted with scepticism as no [[treatment and control groups|control groups]] featured in the study.<ref name="NS17" /> Other, more advanced human trials are reported to be underway in China and Korea.<ref name="Inc" /> |
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In 2017 Alkahest, a company which specialises in developing therapies from blood, recruited 18 people with Alzheimer's disease with the plan of giving them blood transfusions from younger people. They will look for any positive benefits to the mental health of those in the trial.<ref name="Eco17" /> |
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Amy Maxmen writing for the MIT Technology Review warned of the dangers of such trials, noting that transfusions are generally considered safe but can have side effects including deadly infections.<ref name="MIT17" /> |
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==Reporting== |
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Young blood transfusions have been called a "current trend" in regenerative medicine.<ref name="Med17" /> Billionaire [[Peter Thiel]] is a prominent investor in Ambrosia and has interests in other potentially [[Life extension|life-extending]] treatments, though he specifically states that he has not tried parabiosis. Jeff Bercovici wrote for ''[[Inc. (magazine)|Inc.]]'' that "life-extension science is a popular obsession" in [[silicon valley]] and that there are rumours of wealthy technology bosses "spending tens of thousands of dollars for the procedures and young-person-blood".<ref name="Inc" /> The practice was referenced in a 2017 episode of comedy series ''[[Silicon Valley]]'' in which the boss of a technology company uses transfusions from a "blood boy" in an attempt to stay young and live longer.<ref name="HR17" /> |
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News media have widely reported such practices using [[hyperbole]], likening the procedure to the [[Fountain of Youth]] and the [[elixir of life]].<ref name="SA17" /><ref name="Med17" /> Others have related it to stories of [[vampire]]s.<ref name="Eco17" /><ref name="CBC18" /> |
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==See also== |
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*[[Blood doping]] |
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==References== |
==References== |
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{{reflist |
{{reflist}} |
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<ref name="SA17"> |
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{{cite news |
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|url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/fountain-of-youth-young-blood-infusions-ldquo-rejuvenate-rdquo-old-mice/ |
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|title=Fountain of Youth? Young Blood Infusions "Rejuvenate" Old Mice |
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|date=21 April 2017 |
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|surname=Makin |
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|first=Simon |
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|work=[[Scientific American]] |
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|accessdate=5 May 2018 |
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}} |
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</ref> |
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<ref name="NS17"> |
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{{cite news |
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|url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/2133311-human-tests-suggest-young-blood-cuts-cancer-and-alzheimers-risk/ |
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|title=Human tests suggest young blood cuts cancer and Alzheimer's risk |
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|date=31 May 2017 |
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|surname=Adee |
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|first=Sally |
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|work=[[New Scientist]] |
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|accessdate=5 May 2018 |
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}} |
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</ref> |
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<ref name="HR17"> |
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{{cite news |
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|url=https://hiddenremote.com/2017/05/21/yes-blood-boy-silicon-valley-actually-thing-kinda/ |
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|title=Yes, the blood boy on Silicon Valley is actually a thing |
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|date=2017 |
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|surname=Qualey |
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|first=Erin |
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|work=Hidden Remote |
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|accessdate=5 May 2018 |
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}} |
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</ref> |
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<ref name="Inc"> |
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{{cite news |
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|url=https://www.inc.com/jeff-bercovici/peter-thiel-young-blood.html |
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|title=Peter Thiel Is Very, Very Interested In Young People's Blood |
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|surname=Bercovici |
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|first=Jeff |
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|work=Inc |
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|accessdate=5 May 2018 |
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}} |
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</ref> |
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<ref name="Eco17"> |
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{{cite news |
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|url=https://www.economist.com/blogs/economist-explains/2017/07/economist-explains-16 |
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|title=Can young blood really rejuvenate the old? |
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|work=[[The Economist]] |
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|date=21 July 2017 |
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|accessdate=6 May 2018 |
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}} |
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</ref> |
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<ref name="CBC18"> |
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{{cite news |
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|url=http://www.cbc.ca/radio/quirks/march-3-2018-detecting-the-first-stars-young-blood-rejuvenation-acoustic-tractor-beam-more-1.4557129/the-vampire-molecule-scientists-discover-why-young-blood-helps-reverse-aging-1.4557132 |
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|title=The vampire molecule: scientists discover why young blood helps reverse aging |
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|publisher=[[CBC Radio]] |
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|date=3 March 2018 |
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|accessdate=6 May 2018 |
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}} |
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</ref> |
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<ref name="Med17"> |
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{{cite news |
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|url=https://medium.com/immortal-coin/young-blood-transfusions-the-elixir-of-youth-558de42d2086 |
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|title=Young Blood Transfusions - The Elixir Of Youth? |
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|publisher=Medium |
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|date=1 November 2017 |
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|accessdate=6 May 2018 |
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}} |
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</ref> |
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<ref name="MIT17"> |
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{{cite news |
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|url=https://www.technologyreview.com/s/603242/questionable-young-blood-transfusions-offered-in-us-as-anti-aging-remedy/ |
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|title=Questionable "Young Blood" Transfusions Offered in U.S. as Anti-Aging Remedy |
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|publisher=MIT Technology Review |
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|surname=Maxmen |
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|first=Amy |
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|date=13 January 2017 |
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|accessdate=6 May 2018 |
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}} |
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</ref> |
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}} |
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[[Category: |
[[Category:Alternative medicine]] |
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[[Category:Hematology]] |
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[[Category:Blood]] |
[[Category:Blood]] |
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Revision as of 23:25, 22 May 2018
 | This article needs more reliable medical references for verification or relies too heavily on primary sources. (May 2018) |  |
Young blood transfusion refers to the transfusion of blood taken from a young person into an older person with the intention of having a medicinal effect beyond that of a normal blood transfusion.[1]
There is no good evidence that "young blood" has any medicinal effect in people and all blood transfusions have risks, including blood-borne diseases.[1] As of of 2017 evidence from two large studies showed that transfusion of blood from younger donors was either no different from, or led to worse outcomes than, blood from older donors.[2] Research on blood transfusion outcomes has been complicated by the lack of careful characterization of the transfusion products that have been used in clinical trials; research had focused on how storage methods and duration might affect blood, but not on the differences among lots of blood themselves.[3]
A company called Alkahest was spun out of Stanford University based on research in rodents done by scientists there; the company is collaborating with Grifols to create a blood plasma-based experimental biologic drug, which they propose to test in people with Alzheimer's.[4][5]
Ambrosia is a company that sells what it calls "young blood transfusions" for $8,000 under the guise of running a clinical trial to see if such transfusions lead to changes in the blood of recipients.[1][4] Peter Thiel is an investor in Ambrosia; regenerative medicine was a fad in Silicon Valley starting in the 2000s.[6][7]
References
- ^ a b c Novella, Steven (3 August 2016). "Parabiosis – The Next Snakeoil". Science-Based Medicine.
- ^ Garraud, O (August 2017). "Younger blood from older donors: Admitting ignorance and seeking stronger data and clinical trials?". Transfusion and apheresis science : official journal of the World Apheresis Association : official journal of the European Society for Haemapheresis. 56 (4): 635–636. doi:10.1016/j.transci.2017.07.002. PMID 28780993.
- ^ Ning, S; Heddle, NM; Acker, JP (January 2018). "Exploring donor and product factors and their impact on red cell post-transfusion outcomes". Transfusion medicine reviews. 32 (1): 28–35. doi:10.1016/j.tmrv.2017.07.006. PMID 28988603.
- ^ a b de Magalhães, JP; Stevens, M; Thornton, D (November 2017). "The Business of Anti-Aging Science". Trends in biotechnology. 35 (11): 1062–1073. doi:10.1016/j.tibtech.2017.07.004. PMID 28778607.
- ^ Drew, L (27 September 2017). "Neuroscience: The power of plasma". Nature. 549 (7673): S26–S27. doi:10.1038/549S26a. PMID 28953857.
- ^ Bercovici, Jeff (1 August 2016). "Peter Thiel Is Very, Very Interested In Young People's Blood". Inc.
- ^ Maxmen, Amy (13 January 2017). "Questionable "Young Blood" Transfusions Offered in U.S. as Anti-Aging Remedy". MIT Technology Review.
