Young Blood and Plasma Transfusions
The FDA recently warned that plasma infusions from young people provides “no proven clinical benefit” against normal aging, Alzheimer’s disease, or a host of other diseases.
Directors Gottlieb and Marks from the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research say young-blood transfusions can pose risks.
Most research thus far into young-blood transfusions has been conducted in mice. Some of the mouse studies have been encouraging, but other studies have been less encouraging. One biotech company is currently testing a plasma-derived product in Alzheimer’s patients; a previous study from the company yielded mixed results.
One startup company with locations in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, Tampa, Fla., and Omaha, Neb was selling young-blood transfusions at a cost of $8,000 for 1 liter of young blood, or $12,000 for 2 liters. Following a statement released by the FDA regarding young-blood, a notice on the companies site said it would no longer offer the transfusions.
The FDA says the only context in which consumers should consider pursuing young-blood transfusion therapy is within mainstream clinical trials.
Comment: Ponce de León was supposedly searching for the Fountain of Youth, yet there is no contemporary evidence to support the story, which all modern historians call a myth. And yet today, we are still pursuing the fountain of youth. Will this also be called a myth?