UC Berkeley researchers found that diluting the blood plasma of old mice with a saline and albumin solution—without using young blood—rejuvenates tissues in the brain, liver, and muscles. This “neutral blood exchange” lowers harmful, age-associated proteins and allows beneficial proteins to rebound, providing effects similar to or better than young blood transfusions.
Key findings include:
- Improved tissue health and function in old mice, supporting the theory that age-related decline is driven by harmful factors in old blood rather than missing factors from young blood.
- Potential for therapeutic plasma exchange in humans to reduce aging-related diseases by “resetting” the body’s molecular environment.
The study shifts focus from young blood as a rejuvenation source to the therapeutic value of diluting age-elevated factors in the blood. Clinical trials are planned to explore its application for age-related conditions in humans.
