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tl;dr: found that human umbilical cord plasma (= blood minus cells) improves old mice brain function (plasticity, memory), then teased out which protein in the cord plasma seems to have this effect (TIMP2) and showed that it is actively transported across blood-brain barrier (by marking it radioactively). Since this worked across species barriers, it can be speculated that a similar effect would be seen when administ…
tl;dr: found that human umbilical cord plasma (= blood minus cells) improves old mice brain function (plasticity, memory), then teased out which protein in the cord plasma seems to have this effect (TIMP2) and showed that it is actively transported across blood-brain barrier (by marking it radioactively). Since this worked across species barriers, it can be speculated that a similar effect would be seen when administ…
Apparently it is nowhere near as clear cut as expected. See the NPR article linked below.
Can young animal blood also make old humans smarter (sheep, goats, pigs, ...)? If so, and without adverse effects [1], an opportunity is discovered. Human cells might be better but a protein from animals might be cheaper and less ethically challenged, thus more accessible to the masses. [1] An expert please have a say whether that is plausible or not.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antithrombinhttps://en.wikiped... [2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3925420/
tl;dr: found that human umbilical cord plasma (= blood minus cells) improves old mice brain function (plasticity, memory), then teased out which protein in the cord plasma seems to have this effect (TIMP2) and showed that it is actively transported across blood-brain barrier (by marking it radioactively). Since this worked across species barriers, it can be speculated that a similar effect would be seen when administ…
Then efficacy, safety and long term safety have to be verified. Apparently it is nowhere near as clear cut as expected. See the NPR article linked below.
How this pans out in humans and in the long term is a different story.
tl;dr: found that human umbilical cord plasma (= blood minus cells) improves old mice brain function (plasticity, memory), then teased out which protein in the cord plasma seems to have this effect (TIMP2) and showed that it is actively transported across blood-brain barrier (by marking it radioactively). Since this worked across species barriers, it can be speculated that a similar effect would be seen when administ…
Then efficacy, safety and long term safety have to be verified. Apparently it is nowhere near as clear cut as expected. See the NPR article linked below.
should we start worrying people getting pregnant just to be harvested (voluntarily or not, for themselves or for sale)?
Listen to NPR's story for contemporary opinions against how this might not work for humans. http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/04/19/52397584...
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I don't see why that would be necessary. I skimmed the article and did some additional poking around for the protein at issue. I can't tell if it's been characterized, but it may be possible to synthesize it or get cells to produce it for you- either or which would obviate the need to extract it from actual cord blood.
TIMP2 is a well known protein, available from many sources like this one: http://www.sigmaaldrich.com/catalog/product/sigma/srp3174?la...
tl;dr: found that human umbilical cord plasma (= blood minus cells) improves old mice brain function (plasticity, memory), then teased out which protein in the cord plasma seems to have this effect (TIMP2) and showed that it is actively transported across blood-brain barrier (by marking it radioactively). Since this worked across species barriers, it can be speculated that a similar effect would be seen when administ…
Then efficacy, safety and long term safety have to be verified. Apparently it is nowhere near as clear cut as expected. See the NPR article linked below.