Earlier this year, Geron reported the successful extension of the life span of normal human cells using telomerase, which imparts replicative immortality when expressed in reproductive and cancer cells. Conversely, cells that do not express the enzyme aremortal. Telomeres are chains of repeated DNA segments located at the ends of chromosomes, like the plastic tips on the ends of shoe laces. As cells divide, small bits of telomeric DNA decay, eventually signaling the cells to stop dividing. Promoting continued cell division may be the secret to longevity.
Alternative therapy is another area.
Gordon notes that the National Institutes of Health now has a division of alternative medicine, and that the Food and Drug Administration has established a section to review and approve anti-aging therapies.