Chinese scientists find 'fountain of youth' in blood of young that can extend life up to 130 years

Chinese scientists claim to have discovered an anti-ageing component in the blood of young mice, with the longest surviving mouse in their research living for up to 1,266 days which are almost 120-130 years in human age.

According to a peer-reviewed study published in the journal Nature Ageing, male mice aged 20 months, with a median lifetime of 840 days, received weekly injections of the blood component. The researchers reported a 22.7 per cent rise to a median of 1,031 days.

The injections also significantly reduced age-related functional deterioration in old mice, according to Zhang Chenyu, co-leader of the study.

Zhang claimed that public fears about other ethical issues, such as the possibility that young people's blood will be used immorally, were "exaggerated misconceptions." He stated that if the treatment is ever established, it will be given via medications and not via direct plasma exchange. This knowledge can help the development of simplified and targeted treatments.

According to corresponding author Chen Xi, who is also from Nanjing University, "what we are doing is showing at the cellular level what is actually working in the blood, what are the most potent rejuvenating factors."

According to the Chinese team, previous study has mostly focussed on the possible anti-aging capabilities of soluble protein components found in youthful blood.

The study lasted seven years and involved data collecting from hundreds of mice. According to the researchers, small extracellular vesicles (sEVs), which are actively released by virtually all cell types and found in many bodily fluids, including blood, played an important role in correcting age-related degenerative alterations in older mice.

It is commonly established that sEVs transport nucleic acids and proteins across cells, hence enabling information transmission. The scientists reported that by recognising and using this process, they were able to observe greater survival periods than in previous studies on animals.

"[The 22.7 per cent increase in lifespan] is one of the longest records in the world," Chen said,adding that the mice in the most recent study were reasonably active at the end of their lives.

Chen stated that the research was only the beginning, with many scientific issues still to be solved before the discoveries can be clinically evaluated and developed into a medicine. Before any prospective cure is developed, trials must be conducted in large primates that are more similar to humans, he added.

(With inputs from agencies)