Saturday, May 10, 2014

Young blood: the answer to lifespan extension


Young blood: the answer to lifespan extension

 

New life in older bodies may be possible in the near future. Reversal of aging is no longer the realm of science fiction. Institutions across the globe are researching ways to extend lifespan beyond the three score and ten noted in the Bible. Three recent studies are indicative of the work being performed on life extension. Two research papers were published in the online version of the journal Science, the third in Nature Medicine. Studies in progress display transference of blood from adolescent mice to their older counterparts produced numerous results suggesting age reversal. Muscle and brain functions were enervated by the transfusion. Older mice, who received a transfusion, had increased vitality as they moved through mazes and ran on treadmills compared to their age equivalents. Antithetically blood from older mice provided to their younger companions expedited aging in these hosts. Studies in gerontology are now focusing on specific components in the blood that can slow and or even stop the “death cycle.”

 

Growth Differentiation Factor 11 (GDF 11), a blood component found in higher quantities in youthful mice, were the focus of the two studies published in the journal of Science. In Nature Medicine the study utilized whole blood instead of component elements. Remarkably stem cells were awakened in muscle, brain and other tissues when infusing either GDF11 or whole blood. Memory enhancement, elevated endurance levels and increased strength were seen in transfused hosts. Humans have levels of GDF 11 that mimic the findings found in mice. As humans age GDF11 decreases which could explain the physical and mental deteriorations we note in our advanced years. In the event other labs can duplicate the results of these three studies and human application is successful life expectancy could increase exponentially. The sociological implications of prolonged lifespans in humans will have a dramatic effect on our culture and destiny as a race. Is humanity ready to live for centuries instead of decades, only “time” will tell.

 

Mark Davis, MD President of Healthnets Review Services and Davis Book Reviews

Dr. Davis latest book is Obamacare: Dead on Arrival, A Prescription for Disaster.

platomd@gmail.com   www.healthnetsreviewservices.com

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