Blood serum of young people helped slow down skin aging

Scientists from Germany have established that blood serum from young people has a rejuvenating effect on skin, but only with the participation of bone marrow cells. The results of the laboratory study are published in the journal Aging.

The experiment used a microphysiological system - a model that combines skin and bone marrow in a single circulating environment. Blood serum from donors under 30 years of age and over 60 years of age was introduced into it. The serum from young participants reduced the biological age of the skin and enhanced cell division, but only if bone marrow cells were present in the system.

Bone marrow is a "liquid" organ that performs hematopoiesis, or blood formation - the process of creating new blood cells to replace dying and dead ones.

As the study showed, it is the bone marrow that "responds" to the serum, producing signaling proteins that trigger skin regeneration. In total, the researchers identified 55 such proteins and isolated seven key ones. They stimulated skin cell division, activated the synthesis of collagen and hyaluronic acid, improved mitochondrial function, and reduced signs of aging.

The authors emphasize: this is the first study in which the rejuvenating effect of young human blood was confirmed (in vitro) on real human skin tissues. Now the scientists' task is to isolate specific proteins produced in response to therapy and test them individually.