to stay young forever kind?

來達到青春永駐的那種？

Well science says maybe…

嗯...科學上來說是可能的...

okay science doesn’t actually say that. but science has started to notice that blood,

好吧！科學界並沒有真的這樣說。不過他們已經開始注意到血液

specifically young blood might have rejuvenating properties. Which is just crazy interesting.

特別是年輕的血液也許有回春的效果。這真的是太有趣了！

But exactly why that is, no one is certain.

不過到底為什麼會這樣，沒有人有肯定的答案。

Yet one new study points to a new, unknown molecule. In this study published in Nature

然而，一份新的論文把其原因指向一個未知的新分子。 在這份發表在Nature

Communications, scientists found that young blood could heal broken bones. Alright so

Communications期刊中的論文裡，科學家發現年輕的血液可以修復斷骨。好的，所以

this gets a little.. um… gross. but scientists conjoined the circulatory systems of pairs

這好像變得有點...噁心。不過，科學家們結合一對老鼠的循環系統

of mice in a process called parabiosis, which means living besides. Basically scientists

用一種叫連體生活的程序，就是生活在一起的意思。基本上，科學家

stitch together the tissues of two mice, so an old mouse and a younger mouse would share

將兩隻老鼠的組織縫在一起，這樣老年鼠跟年輕鼠就會共用

a blood supply.

同樣的血液。

I know, it totally seems like an antique thing, and it’s kind of old. Clive McCay of Cornell

我知道，這一切都聽起來好像老掉牙的故事，是真的有點老。 來自康乃爾大學的

University first pioneered this technique in the 1950s. but for some reason it’s experiencing

麥克凱博士早在1950年代就首先做出這樣的技術。但是因為某些原因它又被

a resurgence. Yeah I know… a little too much like frankenstein.

重新提起。是，我知道...這好像有點太像科學怪人的劇情了。

But what’s interesting, besides the whole sewing together mice thing, is that the researchers

不過，更有趣的是，除了把老鼠縫在一起的事情外，研究者們

think this means that young blood cells secrete some molecule or protein that helps heal the

認為，年輕的血球藏有一些分子或是蛋白質可以幫助修復

body. And as an organism ages, they lose the ability to make this molecule.

身體。然後，隨著生物體老化它們便失去製造這類分子的能力。

Previously it was thought that GDF-11 a molecule that circulates throughout blood was the fountain

前陣子，GDF-11，一種在體內血液循環的分子，被認為是青春的

of youth. But a recent study contradicts that finding. This new study published in the journal

泉源。不過，最近的一份研究則否定了這樣的說法。這份發表於

Cell Metabolism found that as mice aged, the more of this molecule circulated in the bloodstream.

Cell Metabolism期刊的研究發現，當老鼠老的時候，更多這種分子會在血液裡循環

And as researchers injected aging mice with this molecule, the worse their muscles repaired

但是，當研究者將這種分子注入正在老化中的老鼠時，它的肌肉自癒能力卻變

themselves. So who really knows right…

更差。所以，到底誰真正知道呢...

But even though scientists are still figuring that out, other studies show that there is

不過就算如此，科學家們仍繼續鑽研，而其它的研究指出年輕的血液

really something powerful about young blood. Other studies like one published in the journal

真的有股強大的力量。在其它的研究報告中，有一份發表在

Nature Medicine found that young blood recharged the brains of older mice. Researchers ran

Nature Medicine期刊上的論文發現，年輕的血液能為老年鼠的大腦重新充電。研究者們

mice through standard laboratory tests after they received an infusion of plasma from young

將老鼠注入年輕鼠的血漿後，給予它們標準的實驗室測試。

mice. They did much better on the tests than older mice without young blood coursing through their veins.

它們發現，注射過血漿的老鼠們在測試表現上遠高過體內沒有年輕血液流動的老年鼠們。

Curiously, that improvement was gone if the blood had been heated before hand. Which again

令人好奇的是，如果血液事先被加熱過，這樣的增強效果便會消失。而這便再一次的

suggest there’s something going on with the proteins in young blood. Because heat

暗示年輕血液裡的蛋白質一定有問題。因為熱度

denatures protein, or basically when they get heated up, they lose their shape and don’t

會使蛋白質變質，或者基本上來說，當它們被加熱，它們會失去形狀並且

work as well. Kind of like ice cream melting on a summer day.

失去運作能力。有點像冰淇淋在夏天融化的道理。

Other studies also showed how young blood pumps up older brains. In one study published

其他的研究也同樣指出年輕血液如何為老化的大腦充電。其中一份發表在

in the journal Nature, after being exposed to young blood, the brains of older mice looked

Nature期刊的論文指出，老年鼠在接觸過年輕血液後，牠們的大腦

more like that of a younger mouse. Nerve cells in their hippocampus were better at forming

看起來更像年輕鼠的大腦。而牠們海馬迴裡的神經細胞在形成連結的

connections, which is basically what learning and memory is.

能力變得更好，基本上來說就是學習與記憶的能力。

But wait there’s more. In a similar Frankensteinian experiment, researchers stitched together

不過，等等，還有其他的。在一個跟科學怪人很像似的實驗裡，研究者們將

older mice with a young mouse. They found that the young blood rejuvenated the hearts

老年鼠與年輕鼠縫在一起。他們發現年輕血液能讓老年鼠的心臟

of the older mice. The older mice suffered from cardiac hypertrophy, a condition which

回春。老年鼠原先罹患心臟肥大，一種使心臟

thickens and swells the heart. After four weeks of getting young blood from the other

增厚與腫大的疾病。而它們在接受來自其他老鼠的年輕血液後，四個星期的時間裡，

mouse, their hearts shrank to a normal size!

它們的心臟都縮小回正常的大小。

All of these studies sure make you want to drink a nice tall glass of young blood eh?

以上這所有的研究結果是不是讓你很想來杯倒滿年輕血液的高腳杯呀？

Okay, well, I know, all these studies have been in mice, but researchers are already trying to

好，嗯，我知道，這些實驗都已經在老鼠上施行，但研究者們也早已嘗試將它

see what happens in humans. In October of 2014 researchers at Stanford University gave

應用在人類上做研究。在2014年的十月，來自史丹佛大學的研究者們

transfusions of blood plasma donated by people under 30 to older volunteers with mild to

給予輕度至中度的阿茲海默症患者輸血，而血液全都是來自年紀小於三十歲的捐贈者。

moderate Alzheimer's. The results? We don’t know quite yet.

結果如何？我們還無從得知。

So maybe Dracula had it right all along, but I guess you could say… more research is needed.

所以也許德古拉一直以來都是對的，不過我想你可以說...我們需要更多研究。