Scientists say young blood and bone marrow cells can reverse aging in human skin cells

Researchers found that serum from younger blood can be combined with bone marrow cells and injected into older skin cells, producing rejuvenating effects. This process is called heterochronic parabiosis, which is transferring blood from a younger animal to an older one. Earlier tests on rodents showed reduced signs of aging.

So far, all tests have been done in lab dishes, and scientists say they need to do more research to understand how it really works. The anti-aging market makes a lot of money by selling creams, serums, light treatments, and vampire facials that promise younger-looking skin—but most of them don’t really work, as reported by Popular Mechanics.

Vampire facials and bone marrow

Vampire facials drain blood from a person and claim to act as anti-aging treatment, but most likely do nothing. Beiersdorf researchers claim that combining young blood serum with bone marrow cells caused visible rejuvenation in skin cultures in the lab. They observed that serum alone had no effect on older skin cells—proving that bone marrow cells are necessary.


This method does not require harming humans, unlike the macabre legend of Countess Elizabeth Bathory, who supposedly bathed in virgins’ blood to stay young. Experiments on older mice and rats using injections of young blood and bone marrow cells from younger animals had positive results, showing improved aging signs, as per the report by Popular Mechanics.

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Researchers explained: “With longer life expectancy, it is important to study aging, promote healthy aging, and extend disease-free lifespan. Skin is the largest organ and shows early aging, reflecting overall health”. To test on humans, Beiersdorf injected human skin cell cultures with: Serum with bone marrow cells and Serum without bone marrow cells.

Stem cells and skin rejuvenation

Bone marrow cells are important because they have stem cells that can become other cells and make more of themselves. These stem cells also make proteins that help the body grow, fix tissues, and go to the skin to keep it healthy and repair it.

Aging skin loses some stem cell function, but exposure to young serum and bone marrow cells reduces skin’s biological age, increases cell production, and improves appearance of skin. Researchers found that bone marrow cells secreted 55 proteins related to aging, and 7 of these proteins had rejuvenating effects, improving visible signs of skin aging, as stated by Popular Mechanics.

Upcoming studies aim to find whether young serum and bone marrow cells can rejuvenate other organs and to measure how long effects last. Researchers said, “Future studies are needed to validate these proteins for systemic skin rejuvenation and aging, and to explore the effects of longer culture times”. In conclusion, science may finally explain why blood baths, like Countess Bathory’s, didn’t work: real rejuvenation requires young blood combined with bone marrow cells, as per reports.

FAQs

Q1. Can young blood and bone marrow cells make old skin look younger?
Yes, lab tests show that combining young blood serum with bone marrow cells can help skin look younger and healthier.

Q2. Do vampire facials work like young blood treatments?
No, vampire facials mostly do not work—real rejuvenation needs bone marrow cells combined with young blood.