Donated blood used to be good enough if it was free of infection and if it was the same type as the patient’s. But now there’s another criterion on which it is rated: the age of the donor.

When a geneticist published research in 2018, concluding that plasma from young blood improves the physical health of older individuals, every second start-up wannabe took notice. It is claimed that the young blood will, by implication, also counteract the development of age-related diseases like dementia and heart problems.

We’ve seen drip bars offering a vitamin mixture in less than an hour, first for celebrities and then for the general public. Drip bars are old hat now, though. The first True Blood Clinic opened in Manhattan last week. As expected, the concept doesn’t sit well with all. Some medical experts are claiming that it is downright dangerous.

Founder Mike Wu has responded to critics with this statement: “Blood transfusions keeping people alive and aiding surgeons in theatre are nothing new. What we’re offering is just blood with a certain extra quality level, if you will.”

Wu claims that his business model is also partly an international development effort. The company provides free basic medical testing and healthcare in places like Lesotho, Delhi and Manila, before his team draws the blood and pays the donors for their scarlet contributions. In an increasingly tough economy, people might just forget their fear of needles and use their ‘natural resources’.

My grandma always said you don’t mess with biology, so I’ve got my Google alerts set; I’m waiting for news of the first 75-year-old who presents with teenage acne on their wrinkled and sagging face.

But why wait for advanced gene therapy to reverse aging? If you are of a certain age and need to tap into the ‘fountain of youth’, you can get a top-up right now! But don’t tell your boss – they might cancel your retirement.