The beauty industry makes billions annually from the global population keen to slow, reverse or stop aging altogether. A new study says tweaking our blood might just be the fountain of youth we’ve been seeking.

Researchers at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging in California tested therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) — a medical procedure that removes old plasma from your blood and replaces it with a clean mix. Kind of like giving your blood a spring cleaning.

Testing included a clinical trial with 44 healthy individuals over 50 years of age who were either given the plasma refresh or a false treatment. Some participants were also given IVIG, which, according to the Cleveland Clinic, is a therapy of donated antibodies that support the immune system.

Those who were given biweekly plasma swaps plus IVIG reduced their biological age by an average of 2.6 years. This does not indicate that they are now 2.6 years younger than their birth certificate indicates, but how old their cells and bodies really behave.

This was determined by using tools that look at DNA patterns and molecules linked to aging.

Also observed were improvements to the immune system: less inflammation and wear and tear and more youthful T cells.

The study was small and short but it’s a glimpse into a future where personalized anti-aging treatments may exist and offer real results.

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