Peter Thiel
Paypal co-founder Peter Thiel speaks at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. July 21, 2016. Reuters/Mike Segar

In man’s quest to have a longer life, a lot of pharmaceutical companies are currently conducting clinical trials on anti-aging medication, from the diabetes drug metformin to an embryonic stem cell gene, Nanog. A California startup will launch a clinical trial that would inject blood of young people.

The surgery, called parabiosis, came to public prominence when Amy Wager, a researcher at the Harvard Stem Cell Institute, found that blood of young mice when infused in older mice improves muscle, heart and brain functions, reports Technologyreview. The procedure, first performed in the 1860s, involved sewing the skin of two mice together.

One of those interested to try the technology is Peter Thiel, a tech billionaire, venture capitalist and co-founder of PayPal, reports Syracuse.com. He has spent substantial amounts of money on funding startups which are researching anti-aging medication.

He had studied anti-aging therapies in the past, including caloric restriction, human growth hormone and metformin. Based on his study, Thiel believes parabiosis has a massive rejuvenating effect, although he has not yet injected himself with young blood.

Ambrosia, the startup in Monterey, California, plans to have 600 patients for its clinical trial who would be given weekly blood infusions from blood donations of people aged 16 through 25. The recipients, who must be willing to pay US$8,000 (A$10,514), are people aged 35 and above.

Blood Donation
A cadet from the National Cadet Corps (NCC) donates blood during a blood donation camp organised by the Andhra Pradesh state Aids control society and state blood transfusion council in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad June 14, 2008. Reuters/Krishnendu Halder (INDIA)

This early, the trial is facing criticisms for requiring participants to pay and the lack of a placebo control group which makes the study impossible to decipher the benefits of the blood transfusion, points out David Glass, executive director of aging at Novartis.

There’s another company, Alkahest, which is also scheduled to hold a similar clinical trial for patients with probable Alzheimer’s. Alkahest is expected to be ready with the results by end of 2016.

VIDEO: Is Young Blood the Secret to Eternal Youth?

Source: DNews