New Research Shows That Babies’ Blood Can Improve Memory – Futurism

In BriefResearchers discovered that plasma from cord blood containsproteins that improve learning and memory skills by enhancing theactivity of the hippocampus. The protein could also mitigate theeffects of Alzheimer's. Plasma of Youth

Researchers from Stanford University in California may have stumbled upon a potential elixir of youth. The team, led by Joseph Castellano, found that blood from babies blood contains anti-aging and memory-enhancing potential.While it might sound like the premise of a horror movie, theres no need to worry: no infantswere harmed in the research, as the blood was collected from their umbilical cords.

The rejuvenating effects of infantsblood is the subject of a study the researcherspublished in the journal Nature. Similar to a previous study linkingmemory and cognitive enhancing effects to teenagers blood, Castellano and his team believe that umbilical blood may have the ability to rejuvenate memory.Click to View Full Infographic

Here we show that human cord plasma treatment revitalizes the hippocampus and improves cognitive function in aged mice, the researchers wrote. They gave three groups of mice, each about 50 years old in human years, human blood injections. The mice were split into three groups, each receiving plasma from different sources. One group received the umbilical cord plasma, the second got plasma from young people roughly aged 22, while the third gotplasma from people about 66 years old.

The mice infused with plasma from cord bloodshowed the greatest improvements, demonstrating faster learning sense and better maze navigation. This indicated enhanced activity in the mices hippocampi, the memory and learning center of the brain.

Castellano and his colleagues believe that the effectscome from aprotein found in plasma. Umbilical cord blood is rich in a protein called TIMP2, which consequently declinesas people age. This explains why the plasma from young people also demonstrated some rejuvenating ability, butplasma from older adults did not.

TIMP2 has also been known to limit the growth of enzymes called matrix metalloproteinases, believed to be involved in the development of Alzheimers. How TIMP2 works is still not clear; that being said, researchers are very interested in studyingits potential for treating age-related cognitive disorders, particularly Alzheimers. Itll take time before any such treatment could be developed from this, however.

If and when TIMP2 looks promising as a possible therapy, Id imagine there would be a great deal of interest, Castellano said. As the aging population grows each year, I think well increasingly need to look for ways to limit the harmful effects of aging.

Indeed, thereis now a trend among scientists to consider aging a disease that needs to be and can be treated. Researchers are looking for potential ways to keep aging at bay, or at the very least, to keep its degenerative effects in check. These efforts are varied, from using stem cells to gene and cellular manipulation, and even using bacteria. All of whichare avenues made possible by improved technologies that allow for better medical research and treatment.

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New Research Shows That Babies' Blood Can Improve Memory - Futurism