Definitive agents causing neurodegeneration have yet to be identified, however, recent data has pointed to the inflammatory process as being closely linked with the degeneration of multiple neuronal pathways. These pro-inflammatory cytokines appear to be an important contributor in the developmental pathophysiology of depression and dementia. Pro-inflammatory agents, which are a large part of causative effects of neuroinflammation, occur widely, particularly in the elderly. These data suggest that the role of reversing neuroinflammation in neurodegeneration must be a large part of the treatment process. [3] Therapeutic plasma exchange has been shown to remove pathologic inflammatory markers [4] and treat a multitude of diseases, including those with an autoimmune and neurological basis. [5, 6]

Berkley’s Conboy lab recently published a plasma exchange study illustrating that “dilution of old blood plasma yields an increase in the determinants of brain maintenance and repair in mice, and in people.” They quoted…” rapid cognitive improvements of old mice in this study are thought to arise from abrogating (through NBE-Neutral blood exchange) the otherwise age-increased extent of neuroinflammation.” [7]

While these studies show some promise, exchanging 3 liters of blood volume in a human is not without significant risks [8] requiring at times placement of a central line in the jugular vein [9] to complete the procedure, or large expenses. Total plasma exchange also assumes that old and damaged tissues ‘when cleaned up’ can be rejuvenated to youthful state producing all the youthful growth factors. This theory does not, however, take into consideration the aging hormones, microbiome and tissue damage that cannot be repaired by simply removing the inflammatory load.