[extropy-chat] telomerase immortalized cell lines

[The Avantguardian]

--- "Lifespan Pharma Inc." <megao at sasktel.net> wrote:

> Am I missing something here or is this a technology
> with application to 
> more complex living
> cell systems?
> 

Yes and no. Stem cell depletion caused by telomeric
attrition is a cause of cellular senescence and does
contribute to the overall phenotype of aging. But
unfortunately, it is but a single piece of the puzzle.
It is actually quite easy to make cells immortal. In
cancer this happens spontaneously. Helen Lang died of
ovarian cancer several decades ago but her cancer
cells now called Hela cells are in common use in labs
throughout the world where they thrive. The trick is
to get the whole system to be immortal and that means
being able to carefully monitor and control the growth
of immortal cells. Elsewise, a group of cells will
buck the system and defect, reproducing selfishly at
the expense of the rest of the organism.
  

The Avantguardian 
is 
Stuart LaForge
alt email: stuart"AT"ucla.edu

"The surest sign of intelligent life in the universe is that they haven't attempted to contact us." 
-Bill Watterson

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