Scientists Discover Blood-Derived Molecules with Anti-Aging Potential

Researchers have uncovered new compounds in the blood that show significant potential for anti-aging treatments. A study published on November 29, 2025, by the American Chemical Society reveals that metabolites produced by a little-studied bacterium found in human blood can effectively reduce inflammation and oxidative stress in skin cell cultures.

The focus of the research was on a bacterium known as Paracoccus sanguinis, which was discovered to produce indole metabolites—molecules that have garnered interest for their health benefits. The study highlights the possibility of harnessing these naturally occurring compounds for future skin rejuvenation therapies.

Despite the growing understanding of the microbiome’s impact on human health, the role of bacterial by-products in the bloodstream remains largely unexplored. The researchers, led by Chung Sub Kim and Sullim Lee, aimed to investigate the metabolic functions of blood-derived microbes. “Blood-derived microbes are a relatively uncharted area of research,” Kim stated. “Given the unique environment of the bloodstream, we believed that studying individual species like P. sanguinis could reveal previously unknown metabolic functions relevant to health and disease.”

To delve deeper, the team cultured P. sanguinis for three days and extracted a range of metabolites produced by the bacterium. Using various analytical techniques, including spectrometry and computational methods, they identified the chemical structures of 12 distinct indole metabolites. Notably, six of these compounds had never been documented before in scientific literature.

The next phase of the research involved testing these metabolites on cultured human skin cells that had been subjected to conditions that increased oxidative stress. Among the indoles tested, three compounds—two of which were newly identified—demonstrated the ability to significantly lower levels of reactive oxygen species in the stressed skin cells, compared to untreated samples. Additionally, these metabolites reduced the production of two inflammatory proteins and a protein associated with collagen degradation.

Given these promising results, the researchers suggest that the newly characterized indole metabolites may serve as the foundation for innovative therapies aimed at combating the effects of aging on the skin. Their findings pave the way for a potential new source of anti-aging treatments derived from the body’s own biological processes.

The research received funding from the National Research Foundation of Korea, the BK21 FOUR Project, and the National Supercomputing Center. As scientists continue to explore the metabolic functions of blood-derived microbes, the implications for skin care and overall health could be profound.