Scientists transfused blood from old mice into young ones  

And the results are impressive

Scientists transfused blood from old mice into young ones to see if the young ones would show signs of aging. The young mice were all three months old and male. So they took blood from 22-24-month-old mice, and then the scientists performed tests on muscle strength.

Compared to a control group consisting of young mice that received blood from other young mice, mice that received blood from old mice showed significantly less force and shorter force development and relaxation times during muscle contraction.

The mice tired faster and ran a shorter distance on the rodent wheel. They also showed markers suggestive of kidney damage and liver aging.

Using heterochronic blood transfusion, we were able to transfer normal aging from old to young mice. The reaction has nothing to do with chronological age.

The researchers hypothesized that the cells of the older mice release a senescence phenotype (SASP) that causes aging, such as muscle weakness, loss of endurance, and tissue damage. These old cells, which have stopped reproducing but have not left the body, can affect nearby cells in the young mouse’s body, even if chronological aging has not occurred.

The scientists conclude that the regulation of several factors, such as SASP, may lead to therapeutic strategies in terms of life extension.

The research was published in Nature Metabolism .