Study Validates Glycans as Aging Biomarker and Finds Therapeutic Plasma Exchange Yields Greatest Reduction
Analysis of approximately 20,000 individuals across 42 studies establishes IgG glycans as independently predictive of all-cause mortality and shows aging can be measurably reversed by therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE)
LONDON and SEATTLE, May 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- GlycanAge, the leader in glycan-based biological age analysis, and Circulate Health, the pioneer in precision therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE), today announces the publication of a landmark preprint establishing the IgG glycome as one of the most rigorously validated - and uniquely modifiable - biomarkers of biological aging. Research paper entitled "The Immunoglobulin G Glycome: A Modifiable Biomarker and Functional Effector of Aging, Disease, and Mortality" reports the largest analysis of IgG glycosylation conducted to date.
Led by Professor Gordan Lauc (GlycanAge, University of Zagreb), with co-authors from the Buck Institute for Research on Aging, the University of Freiburg, King's College London, and more than 20 other institutions, the study integrates IgG N-glycome data from 20,405 individuals across 42 independent studies processed between 2008 and 2025. It is the first analysis to place glycan aging, disease, mortality risk, and intervention responsiveness within a single analytical framework.
The most critical finding from this study shows that IgG glycome is not only a predictor of all-cause mortality - it is responsive to intervention. Three geroprotective approaches produced measurable reductions in glycan patterns during structured longitudinal evaluation: therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE), hormone replacement therapy (HRT), and caloric restriction. Among these, TPE produced the largest per-month effect, and the authors note that this is among the first demonstrations of TPE reducing biological age.
"Many interventions in the longevity space are offered without rigorous clinical evaluation. What distinguishes this approach is that therapeutic plasma exchange has been studied in a structured setting, with measurable biological effects. By assessing IgG glycosylation, we can quantify its impact on chronic inflammation and immune ageing, providing an objective framework for evaluating and applying this therapy in clinical practice," commented Professor Gordan Lauc, Chief Scientific Officer, GlycanAge; Professor of Biochemistry, University of Zagreb; pioneer of human glycomics
Therapeutic plasma exchange has more than 50 years of clinical use in autoimmune, neurological, and haematological medicine, and is a first-line treatment for conditions such as Myasthenia gravis and Guillain-Barré syndrome. Until recently, its use in healthspan extension rested on mechanistic rationale and early-phase data rather than randomized evidence with validated aging endpoints.
That picture is changing rapidly. In a single-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial, Circulate Health and the Buck Institute demonstrated that most recently with their published trial in Aging Cell. Findings showed that biweekly TPE sessions combined with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) reduced biological age by an average of 2.6 years across a multi-omics panel. The new preprint adds a complementary line of evidence: a second, independent intervention cohort shows that monthly TPE reduces glycan age at −0.4 years per month - the largest per-month rejuvenation effect among the three interventions evaluated.
"Longevity science is entering a new phase—one where we can begin connecting mechanistic insights from the laboratory to measurable outcomes in patients," says Eric Verdin, Co-founder of Circulate and CEO of the Buck Institute for Research on Aging. "Research like this helps move the field toward more rigorous, evidence-based approaches to extending healthspan."
This study meets the core criteria recently set out by the Biomarkers of Aging Consortium for a valid aging biomarker: mechanistic grounding in the hallmarks of aging (chronic inflammation); predictive validity for hard clinical outcomes (all-cause mortality); and responsiveness to geroprotective interventions.
For more information on the new research please contact Ana Cvetko, PhD at [email protected].
About GlycanAge
GlycanAge is transforming how biological age and chronic inflammation are measured in medicine. Co-founded by leading glycobiologist Prof. Gordan Lauc, GlycanAge's flagship biomarker - an "inflammaging" clock based on IgG glycosylation - is used by hundreds of preventive and longevity clinics worldwide and is increasingly adopted in hospital diagnostics. In December 2025, the company announced an $8.7 million funding round to accelerate clinical adoption of glycan-based diagnostics. Learn more at glycanage.com.
About Circulate Health
Circulate Health is a leading precision Therapeutic Plasma Exchange (TPE) company advancing healthspan through evidence-based protocols and clinical research, helping define the future of longevity therapeutics. Co-founded with Eric Verdin, MD, CEO of the Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Circulate is the first company to publish a single-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled human clinical trial demonstrating TPE's measurable effects on biological age. Circulate's standardized TPE protocols are delivered through a growing network of partner longevity clinics across the United States, supported by expert apheresis nurses and clinical operational infrastructure. Learn more at circulate.health.
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