Recent Plasma-Replacement Results

    Two recent results have been published that are worth reporting here and are recommended for careful reading.

    The first of these is a paper by Dr. Harold Katcher, Dr. Steve Horvath, and others reporting on a development originated by Nugenics Research of Mumbai, India.  The work was done on by applying a component of young plasma (given the name Elixir) extracted from the blood of young rats.  This Elixir was administered to aging rats, and measurements of the Horvarth methylation bio-age clock were done before and after the treatment.  The before and after clocks indicated that in blood, heart, and liver tissues the bio-age was reduced by a factor of two.  Less pronounced but significant clock-reduction was observed in the hypothalamus.

    The second paper is the work of Prof. Irina Conboy's group at UC Berkeley.  They examined the question of whether young-blood-produced tissue regeneration comes from the presence of beneficial components in the young blood or from the absence or dilution of harmful components in the old blood.  To do this, they replaced the plasma in the blood of aging mice with saline solution containing 5% purified albumin.  Unfortunately, they did not do bio-clock measurement on the results, but they noted beneficial effects to muscle, heart, and nerve tissues equal-to or exceeding those of young-old plasma exchange.  The implication is that the benefits of young blood may lie in the dilution of harmful components present in old blood.

    These are both preliminary studies using animal models, but their implications for us aging humans who could use some rejuvenation are very interesting.  The Conboy  results are particularly of interest because immediate application to humans would probably not encounter FDA roadblocks.  (FDA Experts: please comment!)