In September 2025, during a visit to Beijing, Russian President Vladimir Putin made a controversial claim to Chinese leader Xi Jinping, suggesting that repeated organ transplants might enable individuals to “get younger” and potentially live to the age of 150. This statement was largely dismissed as far-fetched, yet it coincided with significant advancements in transplant medicine. Just days before Putin’s remarks, researchers announced the discovery of a molecular “switch” that could reduce complications in liver transplants, thereby improving the longevity of donated organs.
While such scientific progress underscores the potential of transplant medicine, the notion of using organ swaps as a means to combat aging remains more fantasy than reality. The concept of replacing body parts to regain youth is not new; it echoes historical trends, such as early 20th-century “monkey gland” transplants, which were briefly popular among affluent men seeking to restore vitality.
Fast forward to the present, where tech entrepreneur and biohacker Bryan Johnson has revived this quest through blood-based treatments. These procedures often involve transfusing blood plasma rich in platelets from younger donors into older recipients, with the aim of promoting healing and rejuvenation. The scientific foundation for this approach stems from parabiosis experiments conducted on mice, where the circulatory systems of young and old animals were surgically joined. These experiments showed that older mice experienced short-term improvements in various health metrics. However, similar benefits have not been replicated in human clinical trials; research has not yielded significant anti-aging results.
In 2019, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a warning against commercial “young blood” transfusions, labeling them “unproven and potentially harmful.” Despite this, the allure of youth—often imagined as something that can be purchased—persists in public discourse.
Understanding the Realities of Organ Transplants
Organ and tissue transplants are critical life-saving procedures when vital organs fail. Recipient and donor organs undergo rigorous matching processes based on tissue compatibility, and extensive screening for diseases to maximize the chances of long-term success. Yet, these procedures carry significant risks. As Katie Mitchell, the UK’s longest-living heart-and-lung transplant patient, illustrates, successful outcomes demand lifelong care and resilience.
The human immune system typically identifies transplanted organs as foreign, leading to rejection if not carefully managed. Recipients must take potent immunosuppressant drugs to prevent this, which, while necessary, often increase vulnerability to infections and certain cancers. Over time, the continuous immune response against the transplanted tissue can lead to chronic rejection through inflammation and scarring. These complications are exacerbated in older patients, who face slower tissue repair and a weaker immune response.
Survival rates for repeated or multi-organ transplants decline significantly in older adults, where the challenges of recovery and rejection are heightened. This points to a critical conclusion: while organ transplants can extend life, they cannot reset it. The biological toll of surgery and the requirements of lifelong immunosuppression signify that there is no straightforward solution for human aging.
Ethical Implications and the Scarcity of Donor Organs
The scarcity of viable organs for transplantation is a pressing issue. Waiting lists for donor organs are extensive in many countries, creating a significant imbalance between supply and demand. This shortfall has catalyzed a dangerous black market, where trafficked organs from vulnerable populations are sold illegally to wealthier individuals.
Moreover, the shortage of donor organs raises ethical concerns regarding innovation in transplantation. Scientists are exploring xenotransplantation—the transplantation of animal organs into humans—primarily from pigs or baboons due to their anatomical similarities. Although this approach holds promise, it is fraught with challenges, as most xenotransplants face severe immune rejection.
Another avenue being investigated is the cultivation of lab-grown organs. Researchers have made strides in developing organoids—miniature, simplified versions of human organs—but the creation of full-sized, functional transplant-ready organs remains an aspiration rather than a reality.
These ethical dilemmas are profound. The guiding principle in transplant medicine is to allocate organs to those who would benefit most, typically those who have the best chance of surviving and enjoying a quality life. Utilizing scarce donor organs for elective procedures, such as “anti-aging” surgeries, would undermine this principle and potentially erode public trust in the transplant system.
Ultimately, not all organs can be replaced. The brain, which is central to consciousness and identity, remains uniquely vulnerable and irreplaceable. It is susceptible to age-related decline, including memory loss and degenerative diseases. Unlike other organs, the brain cannot simply be exchanged or rejuvenated. Even if advances in science enable the replacement of every other organ in the body, the intricate nature of the brain ensures that true immortality remains elusive.
The aspiration for eternal youth through organ transplants is not positioned as the next frontier of medicine but rather reflects a societal reluctance to accept aging as an essential aspect of the human experience. As articulated by Dan Stratton, a lecturer in Biomedical Health Science at The Open University, the pursuit of youth through medical means may be more about our fears than about achievable scientific goals.
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
