For controversial anti-aging blood injections, you need to pay $ 8,000?

How do you feel about injections with adolescent blood to prevent aging? No, this is not some strange cult practice - many people today are hoping to experience this on their own, including one of the founders of PayPal.

Parabiosis and direct blood injections: how did it all start?

The history of this unique activity began in 2014, when an innovative study showed that in old mice after injections with blood of young people signs of regeneration of muscles and brain functions appeared. In fact, their aging stopped. Similar studies published during the previous decade used the old practice of pumping blood called parabiosis. This practice involves sewing the skin of two mice together in order for their blood systems to unite, and this really worked, slowing the aging process.

However, direct blood injections are a simple alternative to this method. With this in mind, a private company in Monterey, California, hopes to begin trials to see if this method works for people.

Ambrosia project

A clinic called Ambrosia, which in Greek means "immortality", offers its services to those who wish to. But many are confused by the fact that the company asks volunteers to pay $ 8,000 to take part in the research.

After a one-time payment of this amount, each volunteer will receive four weekly portions of plasma from young people. Volunteers do not have to be sick or old, given that the minimum age of participants is 35 years. This condition also causes a lot of controversy, since it will be difficult to determine whether the rejuvenation process takes place if the body has not previously had noticeable signs of aging. In fact, this research can simply give rise to a new fashion trend, accessible to people who have money.

Opinion of company representatives

The leading physician of this clinic, Jesse Karmazin, points out that the study has undergone an ethical review, and argues that there is nothing reprehensible or unusual in paying for participating in medical research. Nevertheless, it is much more likely to the participants and volunteers in the studies that they are compensated, because they are putting their health and even life in danger. Many other studies are free, so it is still unclear how justified are the claims of doctors.

How much does youth cost?

However, not only is the entrance fee of $ 8,000 glaring. The medical justification for the activities of this company is so ambiguous and unconvincing that the entire project seems incredibly suspicious. Even the authors of the 2014 study, which was conducted in mice, oppose such experiments.

A word to recognized experts

There is no clinical evidence that such treatment will be useful, which means that the company abuses the people's trust and public anxiety around this issue. This was stated by neurologist Tony Bis-Korey from Stanford University. Since then, the scientist began his own research in collaboration with his university. He is influenced by the blood of youth in people with Alzheimer's disease. Unlike Ambrosia, all participants will receive a reward for such a risk.

Features of future research

Ambrosia researchers plan to look for 100 biomarkers in volunteer bodies after they are injected with blood from donors under the age of 25 to see if treatment will be successful. But since there is no control group, it will be impossible to determine any rejuvenating effects. In addition, some studies show that the effect of stopping aging in mice was temporary. Other scientists say that the method of parabiosis does not work on mice with certain types of muscle damage.

Is it worth it to risk

Thus, although this is a tempting idea, the idea that the blood of young people can become the elixir of immortality is far from the truth even in the case of mice, not to mention people. It is necessary to conduct much more research before commencing trials on humans. The offer of Ambrosia seems rather doubtful and expensive.