Giving ‘young blood’ to old mice helps broken bones heal more quickly

Human bodies age. There’s really no way around it — at least for now. Sagging skin, weakened immune systems, and slow-healing bone fractures are pretty much inevitable above a certain age. But what if humans could reverse that process somehow? As it turns out, that might become possible — at least when dealing with bone fractures.


By sharing the blood of young mice with older mice, researchers were able to “rejuvenate” bone-healing cells, and trigger healing speeds that rivaled those of younger mice. The research is still in its infancy, but it’s possible that it could one day lead to a drug that could help older individuals conserve the ability to quickly recover from a fracture.


About one out of five people who sustain a hip fracture dies within a year of their initial injury, according to the CDC. And the rate of hip fractures increases tremendously with age; people over the age of 85 are 10 to 15 times more likely to suffer hip fractures than those between the ages of 60 and 65. That’s why understanding the mechanisms that underly bone healing is so important; for some older people, the answer could be live-saving.


Source Article from https://www.freedomsphoenix.com/News/176690-2015-05-20-giving-young-blood-to-old-mice-helps-broken-bones-heal.htm?EdNo=001&From=RSS

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