The embryo was incinerated before it reached fourteen days old in conformance with government research guidelines. The goal of this experimentation is to produce tissue that can be useful in the treatment of Diabetes , Parkinson's disease , nerve damage or other conditions. This finding will enable leukemia patients and others to benefit from the use of these cells. Researchers at of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center discovered that by introducing the enzyme telomerase, one could indefinitely extend the lifespan of human cells. Telomerase builds up the telomere, which is the DNA found on the end of chromosomes that controls the amount of times a cell can divide and which shortens with age.
Telomeres degrade as the cells divide and their shortening causes cell death.
After removing a few rare stem cells from a leukemia patient, the cells could be treated with telomerase, grown in large quantities and transplanted into the patient avoiding rejection. This process would make bone marrow transplant unnecessary. The same procedure could also repair genetic defects. This finding was confirmed by another study conducted by Gerona Corporation. The possibilities are limitless . .