Millionaire in his 50s failed to use his child's blood to "stay young forever"

Earlier this year, Bryan Johnson (45 years old), an American software developer, took his journey to reverse the aging process to the next level when he conducted the “ world’s first cross-generational plasma exchange” with his son Talmage (17 years old) and father Richard (70 years old).

Johnson's team of more than 30 doctors say the procedure has the potential to reverse age-related brain decline.

Accordingly, Bryan Johnson underwent 6 plasma exchanges from 1 liter of blood donated by his son.

World - Millionaire in his 50s failed to use his child's blood to 'stay young forever' — Bryan Johnson (45 years old) finds many ways to hold on to his youth despite causing controversy.

Specifically, blood from young donors is extracted into red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets and plasma. The converted plasma is then injected into the recipient with the aim of regenerating body parts to fight aging.

While Johnson injected his son's plasma into his veins, his plasma was also injected into his father's veins to perform the 3-generation experiment.

However, after testing a series of biomarkers from his blood, Mr. Johnson concluded that the therapy “did not work,” on July 9. He did not provide specific information about why the method failed. Meanwhile, Mr. Richard’s results are still pending.

In January, Johnson made headlines for spending millions of dollars on anti-aging measures under the name "Project Blueprint." The program includes a strict diet, exercise, sleep habits, and more. He undergoes regular blood tests and organ checks to determine whether he is biologically becoming younger.

Plasma transfusions were just one of many controversial procedures Johnson underwent to prolong his life.

Ambrosia, a California startup that began selling rejuvenating plasma for $8,000 a liter in 2017, shut down in 2019 after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned of the risks of the therapy.

The FDA's 2019 statement stated: "There is currently no clinical evidence that transfusion of plasma donated from young adults can cure, mitigate, treat, or prevent diseases such as cardiovascular disease or Alzheimer's disease."

According to the FDA, plasma collected from donors must undergo rigorous testing to ensure its safety, so rejuvenating plasma transfusions (like the one Mr. Johnson received) are not considered safe or effective.

Plasma transfusions have been used for severe infections, burns and blood disorders, but there is no conclusive evidence that they can fight aging.

“We don’t know enough to say this is a viable treatment for humans,” said Charles Brenner, a biochemist at City of Hope National Medical Center in Los Angeles. “To me, it’s not well-documented and it’s quite dangerous.”

“The research to slow or prevent the aging process is more complicated than looking for regenerative factors in the blood,” said Irina M. Conboy from the University of California, Berkeley (USA).

In the wake of the FDA warning, researchers are taking a more measured approach. Rather than trying to reverse aging, they are identifying the molecular factors responsible for the changes seen in parabiosis experiments in hopes of targeting specific aging-related diseases, such as age-related macular degeneration or Alzheimer's disease.

While Johnson has tried many ways to turn back to his 18 years, the young plasma transfusions appear to have been unsuccessful. He said the therapy has been discontinued.

Minh Hoa (t/h)

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