Fusion’s article “If death becomes optional, will only the rich get to live forever?” reminded me of a recent conversation I’d had with a friend in which we discussed the “vampires” of Silicon Valley. Researchers have found that blood transfusions of newer, younger, blood plasma seems to reverse, or at least stall the aging process. In this way, those who can afford it may be able to seriously extend their lifespans by “consuming” the blood of young donors, who would likely be compensated monetarily.
A team at Professor Thomas Rando’s neurology lab at Stanford answered one of the most perplexing questions researchers have faced regarding longevity: Why do all the tissues in a body age at roughly the same rate?
They hypothesized and tried a number of theories out on laboratory mice. Their experiment worked better than expected. Stem cells in the older mice started to divide again, restoring muscle, liver and even brain cells, when transfused with the plasma of the younger mice.
Something from the young donor blood was making the stem cells behave as if they too were young again — at the very least, stalling the aging process.
Various tests have shown that the effects of these transfusions are present in muscles − including the heart, bones and nerve cells. It promotes repair of spinal injuries and encourages the formation of new olfactory neurons. All of this seems to be linked to more active stem cells. Initially, the research will be used to see how these transfusions might serve as a treatment, or perhaps cure, for Alzheimer’s and dementia patients. The promise and potential of such bodily interference, however, appears extensive.
The social ramifications of such research are stunning when you really think about them, as Fusion’s article suggests. If this is the way forward to longevity, certainly the rich will live longer, but we must also consider from where/whom this blood is drawn and what that means in a world where our economic inequalities are so plainly written on our bodies.
Source: Forbes