Scientists continue to seek ways to rejuvenate
Last reviewed: 16.10.2021
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A recent experiment with blood transfusion of young rodents to an old animal, which showed quite effective results, excited not only the scientific community, but also the public. Scientists began to discuss possible prospects for this discovery, but in fact it is still too early to say that transfusion of "young" blood can really improve the condition of older people.
Despite the fact that experiments with blood transfusion were conducted relatively recently, Peter Til, the main investor of Facebook, became interested in rejuvenating injections with blood, in addition, at least one company is already developing drugs based on this method of rejuvenation.
But recently an article appeared in one of the well-known magazines, in which scientists questioned the method of rejuvenation with the help of "young blood". As further experiments showed, a positive effect was not always observed after blood transfusion between experimental animals of different ages. The young animal's blood does not work on the organism of the old animal, but the old blood for the young organism, on the contrary, turned out to be dangerous and caused a number of health problems, in particular with internal organs.
Scientists suggest that during life in the blood cells accumulate molecules, which are the basis of aging, and experiments confirm the fact that young blood is not a medicine. The head of the scientific group Irina Conboy in 2005 conducted an experiment on combining the organisms of the young and old rodent surgically. The method used by the Conboy team is called parabiosis and involves a free exchange of blood between two organisms. In the course of the experiment it was found that the old mouse had a restoration of tissues that underwent age-related changes. The press immediately began to hear rumors that young blood helps to rejuvenate. But scientists note that when parabiosis occurs not only the exchange of blood, the old rodent was able to also use the internal organs of the young, in particular his heart and lungs. In the last study, scientists used a different method, in which blood was exchanged exclusively. A month later, experts checked the health of the experimental rodents and were puzzled - the state of the old mouse did not affect the exchange of blood, its condition remained unchanged, whereas the organism of the young rodent underwent significant changes, and not for the better. In the young mouse, all internal organs began to work worse, especially the cells of the brain.
According to experts, molecules that accumulate in the blood throughout life, can influence the growth and development of cells, in particular, stop these processes. According to Conba, these molecules are probably stronger than molecules that are present in young blood cells, which led to a sharp deterioration in the health of young rodents, after exchanging blood with old animals.
Now scientists are faced with the task of identifying these molecules in the blood. There are a lot of them in the old blood, but it is possible that there is a basic group of molecules that controls all the others. Scientists intend to determine how the old organism will react to various actions with such molecules.
It turns out that scientists have denied the spread of the opinion that the transfusion of young blood can affect the aging process and rejuvenate the body. But a new study, perhaps, will help scientists find a way to "translate" back the biological clock.
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