Teenagers' blood creates youthful brains in old mice

The blood of teenagers has been found to improve the memory cognition and physical activity of old mice, according to new research.

Sakura Minami, a neuroscientist from Californian firm Alkahest, may have found what some describe as the ‘fountain of youth’ through her research which has reversed the signs of ageing in mice.

Presenting her findings at the Society for Neuroscience (12-16 November) annual meeting in San Diego, California on 14 November, Sakura Minami’s research took blood from 18-year-old men and women and injected them into one-year-old mice.

The neuroscientist discovered the mice (the equivalent age of a 50-year-old person) started behaving like much younger mice after receiving the teenagers' blood.

The mice were given twice-weekly injections of the human blood plasma for three weeks and started running about like young three-month-old mice.

The researcher found the memories of the old mice also improved as they became better at remembering their way around a maze.

After examining the brains of treated and untreated mice, Ms Minami’s research team found the treated mice had more new cells in the hippocampus part of their brains.

The research findings has led to Alkahest starting a trial of young blood in people with Alzheimer’s disease.