Are we getting closer to a cure for aging? Scientists can boost the lifespan of mice by 50% by pumping up production of an enzyme called telomerase. The same process may work in humans.
Telomerase helps protect the chromosomes in your cells from being damaged by age and cell division. If you can eliminate chromosome damage, cells can pretty much live forever – which means you can live up to 50% longer.
Of course, heightened levels of telomerase (10x normal in the experiments on mice) can cause cancer, so we’ll need a cure for that too.
Friday, November 21, 2008
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