Research has shown that giving young blood to old mice can reverse some of the effects of age- related cognitive decline. The same team then tested for changes in cognition (they didn't know blood's effect on the brain beyond cell regeneration) by linking the circulatory systems of old mice and young mice to fully mix the blood of both- their brains were then analysed. The old mice showed changes in gene expression, particularly in the genes that underpin memory and learning. This infusion of young blood also boosted the number of neuronal connections, as well as the strength of them, in an area of the brain where new cells don't grow.
To investigate the effect of the changes on cognition, the team then gave mice shots of blood plasma from either a young or an old mouse. Plasma was used to exclude the effect produced by blood cells. Following, the mice completed a standard memory task- this revealed that the mice that had received young blood had a better, quicker memory. Blood may have a specific effect on the hippocampus; mice given young blood were better at remembering fear associated with tasks that activated that part of the brain, in fear conditioning tests.
But what does young blood have that old blood doesn't? Work is being carried out to try to identify the individual factors responsible for the effects of young blood plasma. The components in blood that change with age are the same for both mice and men; here's hoping these investigations will prove to be useful to humans in the future.
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