The idea of halting ageing with “young blood” has occupied researchers for decades. A randomised, placebo-controlled trial by the Buck Institute for Research on Aging in California now provides the first controlled data on therapeutic plasma exchange in healthy older people.
What is plasma exchange?
In therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE), the blood is separated outside the body into blood cells and liquid plasma. The plasma is discarded and replaced with an albumin solution. The procedure has long been established, for example in certain autoimmune and neurological diseases. The hypothesis of ageing research: together with the plasma, harmful messengers that accumulate with age are also removed.
The trial
- Participants: 42 healthy adults over 50 years of age
- Groups: TPE every two weeks; TPE every two weeks plus immunoglobulins (IVIG); TPE once a month; sham treatment (placebo)
- Measurement: biological age based on extensive biomarker profiles (multi-omics), including epigenetic clocks
- Publication: the journal Aging Cell, 2025
The results
The effect was most pronounced with fortnightly plasma exchange plus immunoglobulins: biological age fell by an average of about 2.6 years. With plasma exchange alone, the reduction was around 1.3 years. The greatest changes occurred after the first three sessions; further treatments brought progressively less.
Assessment
The trial is an important first step, but with 42 participants in four groups it is very small. Biomarkers were measured, not health or lifespan – whether a lower “biological clock” actually means more healthy years is unproven. In addition, plasma exchange is an invasive procedure with its own risks, such as circulatory reactions and coagulation and infection risks; immunoglobulins are expensive and in short supply. The trial was carried out together with the company Circulate Health, which offers such treatments.
Anyone who is already being offered “rejuvenation plasma exchange” in private clinics today should be aware that the procedure has not been shown to be effective for this purpose.
Note: This article is for general information only and does not replace medical advice.
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