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In a ground-breaking study, the researchers claimed to have found a new therapeutic which was developed from compounds found in the blood of the pig and can reverse the age of rats.

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The anti-ageing therapeutic, which is called E5, was developed using a young pig’s blood and was injected into the bodies of ageing rats, as per a new study published recently in the journal GeroScience.

E5, which is filled with young plasmas and complex nanoparticles sourced from pigs, can reverse the rats’ biological clocks by nearly 70 per cent on average, stated the researchers, which included those from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

Can human age be reversed?

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The scientists claimed that if the same results are achieved in humans, it will mean that an 80-year-old’s age can be reversed to 26.

“Initially, I could hardly believe the profound epigenetic rejuvenation effects of E5. However, our findings are robustly supported by parallel rodent studies from different labs,” said study co-author Steve Horvath, in a statement.

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The scientists in the research discovered that when the different rat tissues went under pig blood treatment, it was observed that the biological age of the blood, heart and liver was reversed.

“The treatment more than halved the epigenetic ages of blood, heart, and liver tissue,” wrote the scientists, in the study. They also observed a “less pronounced, but statistically significant” rejuvenation effect on the hypothalamus of the brain.

Researchers stated that they observed “progressive improvement” in the functioning of these organs in the rats and also saw cognitive and behavioural improvements.

Does the study hint at a major development in future?

The findings overall suggested a young porcine plasma-derived treatment that “markedly reverses ageing” in rats. “We found the plasma fraction treatment consistently effective in both male and female rats, drastically reducing the epigenetic age of multiple rat tissues,” researchers stated.

The results derived from the new study also give insights into the shared biological mechanisms across mammal species. Although the treatment has not gone through human trials, the researchers still hope that there is room for optimism.

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The study hints at a future possibility of using rejuvenation for systemically reducing disease onset risk “rather than treating diseases individually”.

However, scientists have also emphasised how the markers of ageing which were observed in the rats in the study can significantly differ in patterns and values compared to humans.

“What may be detrimental in one species could be inconsequential in another,” the scientists said.

(With inputs from agencies)