--- ---  # ‘Vampire’ Mice May Hold Key to Eternal Youth  by [Charlie Campbell](https://time.com/author/charlie-campbell/)  ## Charlie Campbell Editor at Large May 5, 2014 3:18 AM UTC  Getty Images  by [Charlie Campbell](https://time.com/author/charlie-campbell/)  ## Charlie Campbell Editor at Large May 5, 2014 3:18 AM UTC Aging mice [gain energy](http://www.nature.com/nm/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nm.3569.html), while also exhibiting greater strength and memory, when injected with the blood of younger specimens, according to a new study. Scientists at Harvard and the University of California, San Francisco, carried out experiments on rodents with ages equivalent to humans in their 20s and 60s. A protein called GDF11 — also found in human blood — is behind the rejuvenating properties, they suggest in research published in the journals _Science_ and _Nature Medicine_. Concentration of the substance appears to decline in advanced years. The findings could be used to treat age-related diseases such as dementia and Alzheimer’s. However, some have [cautioned](http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/05/science/young-blood-may-hold-key-to-reversing-aging.html?hp) that stimulating the rapid regrowth of cells could possibly lead to increased risks of cancer. 'Vampire' Mice Given Young Blood May Hold Key to Eternal Youth ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/87389/vampire-mice-eternal-youth-blood-injection/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/87389/vampire-mice-eternal-youth-blood-injection/"},"headline":"‘Vampire’ Mice May Hold Key to Eternal Youth","datePublished":"2014-05-05T03:18:27.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-21T07:38:49.257Z","description":"New studies published in Science and Nature Medicine find that older mice who are given blood from younger rodents quickly become rejuvenated, raising hopes for treating age-related degenerative conditions in humans like dementia and Alzheimer's","url":"https://time.com/87389/vampire-mice-eternal-youth-blood-injection/","keywords":["Aging","medicine","study","Mice","Dementia","Alzheimer's"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltccab23ce402e1b64/69868dd355a8592c9ba80aba/hel_mice_young_blood_0505.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Charlie Campbell","jobTitle":"Editor at Large","url":"https://time.com/author/charlie-campbell/"}],"articleSection":"Health","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltccab23ce402e1b64/69868dd355a8592c9ba80aba/hel_mice_young_blood_0505.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Mouse","caption":"Mouse","creditText":"Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/health/","name":"Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/aging/","name":"Aging"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/87389/vampire-mice-eternal-youth-blood-injection/","name":"‘Vampire’ Mice May Hold Key to Eternal Youth"}}]}] ```