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
No comments:
Post a Comment