Skip to main content
Log in

Prolonged heterochronic parabiosis decreases biological age and promotes longevity in old mice

  • Research Briefing
  • Published:

From Nature Aging

View current issue Submit your manuscript

By applying deep molecular profiling to our long-term mouse parabiosis model, we reveal reduced epigenetic age in old mice that shared circulation with young mice. The rejuvenation effect is sustained at two months after detachment, leading to lifespan extension and improved physical function, and is associated with rejuvenated transcriptomic signatures.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1: Prolonged heterochronic parabiosis extends lifespan and decreases epigenetic aging in old mice.

References

  1. McCay, C. M., Pope, F. & Lunsford, W. Experimental prolongation of the life span. Bull. NY Acad. Med. 32, 91–101 (1956). One of the first publications using the parabiosis model to study aging.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Conboy, I. M. et al. Rejuvenation of aged progenitor cells by exposure to a young systemic environment. Nature 433, 760–764 (2005). A study that shows the rejuvenating effects of heterochronic parabiosis across multiple aged tissues.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Villeda, S. A. et al. Young blood reverses age-related impairments in cognitive function and synaptic plasticity in mice. Nat. Med. 20, 659–663 (2014). A study that shows that systemic delivery of young plasma can recapitulate the beneficial effects of parabiosis on cognition.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  4. Baht, G. S. et al. Exposure to a youthful circulation rejuvenates bone repair through modulation of beta-catenin. Nat. Commun. 6, 7131 (2015). This study demonstrated enhanced bone repair with heterochronic parabiosis.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Poganik, R. J. et al. Biological age is increased by stress and restored upon recovery. Cell Metab. 35, 807–820 (2023). This paper establishes that biological age reversibly increases in young animals upon heterochronic parabiosis.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Additional information

Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

This is a summary of: Zhang, B. et al. Multi-omic rejuvenation and lifespan extension upon exposure to youthful circulation. Nat. Aging https://doi.org/10.1038/s43587-023-00451-9 (2023).

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Prolonged heterochronic parabiosis decreases biological age and promotes longevity in old mice. Nat Aging 3, 917–918 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43587-023-00452-8

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s43587-023-00452-8

  • Springer Nature America, Inc.

Navigation