Count Dracula drank the blood of beautiful young women so he could remain 30-never forever. He wasn’t alone. History and literature are filled with tales of the famous and infamous who believed young blood was the key to immortality.

• Pope Innocent VIII believed that the blood of 10-year-old boys would keep him from his deathbed.
• Vampires feed off the “life energy” present in human blood.
• The evil queen Ravenna in Snow White & the Huntsman attempts to restore her youth by draining her daughter of blood.

Surprise! It appears that the crazy Count may not have been so crazy after all. Team Costhetics recently uncovered research studies that suggest transfusing blood from the young (not drinking it!) may actually improve life for the old.

Here’s what got our blood going:

Blood Simple – New Research on Anti-Ageing

Two independent research studies conducted in the U.S. have good news for ageing mice, which may prove beneficial to ageing humans. A paper published by researchers at Stanford and the University of California states:

“Our data indicates that exposure of aged mice to young blood late in life is capable of rejuvenating synaptic plasticity and improving cognitive function.”

More research is necessary according to the study’s senior author, who admitted that the mechanics of the process are still unclear.

Researchers at Harvard came up with similar conclusions. A stem cell research project at Harvard yielded unexpected information that is improving the understanding of ageing. Something from the young donor blood was making the stem cells in older mice behave as if they too were young again.

“…Injections of a protein known as GDF11, which is found (naturally) in humans as well as mice, improved the exercise capability of mice equivalent in age to that of about a 70-year-old human, and also improved the function of the olfactory region of the brains of the older mice.”

The Harvard researchers believe that GDF11 rejuvenates blood vessels and increases flow to the brain and other parts of the body. This makes sense, as blood is the transport system for proteins and hormones. The body’s cells live and die based on the nutrients they receive through the bloodstream.

The Future of Anti-Ageing Blood Transfusions

This is all good for mouse-kind, but what about mankind? There are some questions about the technique. One fear is that by re-activating stem cells, the resulting increase in cell divisions could create a cancer risk. More research is clearly in order. We’ll keep our eye on this topic and report new findings as they develop.

That’s it for now. Team Costhetics has planned a Netflix-and-chill evening to watch “The Wolfman” and look for valuable tips on hair restoration. Hey, you never know.