5 ms·
They're not the basis of aging, they're just a component of it. Even with immortal cell lines, your body would still sag and decay, as there is so much we have
by kmm 10y ago
They're not the basis of aging, they're just a component of it. Even with immortal cell lines, your body would still sag and decay, as there is so much we have no regenerative capability for. We can't even regenerate small patches of skin without leaving scars
Telomeres also have a function. It's no coincidence that telomere-lengthening telomerase is active in 90% of cancer cells. Telomeres might be an important cancer-inhibiting mechanism. It's in principle a good first defense against uncontrolled cell division
- cantrevealname 10y agoYou're speculating about what's not possible. Considering that the upside of telomere breakthrough is so enormous, why don't we also speculate on what might be possible? You can grow fresh skin, new legs, new arms, and a new heart by having a baby. A baby comes from your cells in which telomeres have been reset. If it possible for you to generate fresh skin, legs, etc. for a baby, there might be a way, hypothetically, for you to regenerate your own skin and legs using some similar mechanism.
- kmm 10y agoWe still have the homologues of the old regeneration genes that are still active in lizards and such. However, they're not usable because of our strong tumor suppression genes. We're at least a thousand times bigger than a small lizard and expect to live much longer. Sadly, evolution favored cancer suppression in our genes to ensure our longevity and regeneration didn't provide enough to keep it around. It would be an absolutely monumental task to reverse tens of billions of generations worth of genetic change, and we would basically have to cure cancer first for it to be useful.