Young blood seems to turn back the effects of aging, potentially with few known safety concerns in humans and, so far, with corroborated results from parabiotic aging studies in multiple labs. But scientists and ethicists still worry about the treatment being tried in people outside approved clinical trials before evidence on its safety and effectiveness is in. Unlicensed stem-cell transplants are already a booming industry, warns Mattson, and unlicensed transfusion of young blood would be even easier.
For now, any claims that young blood or plasma will extend lifespan are false: the data are just not there. An experiment to test such claims would take upwards of six years — first waiting for the mice to age, then for them to die naturally, then analysing the data. “If we had funding to do this, I'd do it. But we don't,” says Michael Conboy. Still, he adds, “I hope that someone, somewhere is.”
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For now, any claims that young blood or plasma will extend lifespan are false: the data are just not there. An experiment to test such claims would take upwards of six years — first waiting for the mice to age, then for them to die naturally, then analysing the data. “If we had funding to do this, I'd do it. But we don't,” says Michael Conboy. Still, he adds, “I hope that someone, somewhere is.”
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