A few days after his latest research hit the press, I sat with neurologist Tony Wyss-Coray, PhD, for a 1:2:1 podcast. He laughed when I mentioned the range of news headlines touting his Nature Medicine study (subscription required) that found blood plasma from young mice improves the memory and learning of old mice. One headline declared: "The Fountain of Youth is Filled with Blood." Another flashed: "Vampires Delight? Young Blood Recharges Brains of Old Mice."
Serendipitously Wyss-Coray’s paper coincided with the release of two similar studies from Harvard teams on the rejuvenating power of young blood. For the science press, it was a perfect confluence of red.
My colleague Bruce Goldman has followed Wyss-Coray's research for several years. He’s also written about prior studies of Thomas Rando, MD, PhD, showing that the blood of young mice could stimulate old stem cells and rejuvenate aging tissue. Rando’s work laid the path for Wyss-Coray’s investigations.
Perhaps there's something here that will be significant for human beings and actually lead to breakthroughs in treatments for a range of neurological brain disorders like Alzheimer's. Wyss-Coray is circumspect. It’s a tall leap from mice to human beings, but he’s eager to make the jump in clinical trials.
Previously: The rechargeable brain: Blood plasma from young mice improves old mice’s memory and learning, Red light, green light: Simultaneous stop and go signals on stem cells’ genes may enable fast activation, provide “aging clock”, Old blood + young brain = old brain, Old blood makes young brains act older, and vice versa and Freshen up those stem cells with young blood
