Key points from article :
Lyfspn, a company backed by Khosla Ventures, is conducting a plasmapheresis trial in the Bay Area for longevity benefits.
Hoping to enrol around 40 participants who are over 50 and under 85.
Randomised clinical trial, with a placebo group, will use treatments ranging from one a month, up to two a week, for three months.
Plasmapheresis is a procedure that removes plasma from whole blood, swapping out unhealthy plasma and replacing it with healthy donor plasma or a plasma substitute.
“Infusing plasma as part of the protocol is associated with significant side effects and, on occasion, death – so we are not planning to use human plasma!” explained by Dr Dobri Kiprov, co-founder and Chief Medical Officer of Lyfspn.
Current research protocol uses 5% human albumin, which has been chemically manipulated and considered a pharmaceutical product.
Removal of certain substances, actually causes immunomodulation – the whole immune system functions differently
Especially effective for autoimmune disorders because it removes certain autoantibodies and proteins that attack self tissue.
Will be using independent laboratories to see whether effect on epigenetic clocks can be replicated.
Plasma’s regenerative capacity means it also has potential to target multiple diseases of aging.
The ultimate goal is to have enough information to be able to push the concept of prevention with insurers.
