Is Young Blood the Fountain of Youth?

Vampires have known; now research mice are beginning to learn. Experiments on mice have shown that it's possible to rejuvenate animals by giving them blood from the young, according to a Standford University study. Blood from young mice reversed some of the effects of brain aging, improving learning and memory to a level similar to much younger animals, reports the Guardian.

The circulatory systems of old and young mice were combined in the study so that their blood could mingle. The number of stem cells in the older brain increased, and there was a 20% increase in connections between brain cells, which affect memory and learning. The findings could one day help Alzheimer's victims. "Do I think that giving young blood could have an effect on a human? I'm thinking more and more that it might," says researcher Saul Villeda. (More Stanford University stories.)