A blood exchange protocol significantly slows rate of decline in moderate AD patients

[Julie G]

Now THIS is interesting. In a Phase II trial, a plasmapheresis protocol (removing blood plasma from the body, separating it into plasma and cells, and transfusing the cells + 20% albumin back into the bloodstream) slowed progression of decline by 61% compared to controls in patients with moderate Alzheimer's disease.

Scientists theorize that extracting plasma may flush amyloid-beta peptide from the brain into the plasma, thus limiting the disease's impact on the patient's cognitive functions. Additionally, increasing albumin may represent a multi-modal approach to the management of the disease due to it's binding capacity, antioxidant, immune modulatory and anti-inflammatory properties. You can read the PR here.

Here's a decent primer on albumin.

[Fiver]

I'd always wondered about this. Awesome! Thanks for sharing.

I will read but I am already wondering: is it a dilution effect drawing out AB or a reduced blood pressure effect doing something similar?

[circular]

Really interesting and great that it helps at the moderate stage.

[Brian4]

Great news, except that the exchange fluid used by Grifols contains aluminum [1].

MaxWell Bio's HPE protocol involves replacement fluid that does not contain aluminum:

https://maxwellbiosciences.com/p/hetero ... a-exchange

[1] I know this from personal communication, but it's widely known that albumin products typically contain aluminum as a contaminant:

https://www.pdr.net/drug-summary/Albute ... uman--2222

Brian

[Fiver]

I wonder if simply giving blood would work? is the replacement necessary?

Sorry if I am missing something. Just wondering is it the loss of plasma or the gain of albumin? One increases osmosis/diffusion via pressure change, the other by changing the osmotic potential (making the blood more full of stuff).

[Brian4]

Fiver, very important question. I think a reasonable conclusion is that removing old stuff helps, and introducing new stuff helps as well.

I became a plasma donor not simply to help others, but also to periodically "renew" (not so new, since it's still me...) my plasma.

Brian

[Fiver]

you are way ahead!

[MarcR]

I became a plasma donor not simply to help others, but also to periodically "renew" (not so new, since it's still me...) my plasma.

I haven't been able to find research linking occasional plasma donation to health benefits; do you have anything you can share?

[Brian4]

Marc, my source here is clinicians with whom I've spoken about side-benefits of plasmapheresis used for severe autoimmune problems. For that indication, I would imagine there's published research. But what caught my eye/ear was that these clinicians say they've noted improvements in other markers of health, such as markers of metabolic health – but that could be secondary to improvements in the autoimmunity, which means it would only apply minimally to most people.

[RJones]

The book "Dumping Iron" gives a nice review of the evidence that giving blood is beneficial. Its underlying viewpoint is that it's the donation of the red blood cells, rather than the plasma, that yields the benefit. It seems like donating whole blood is a good bet either way.

http://roguehealthandfitness.com/dumping-iron/