The concept of immortality has been a mystery since the beginning of mankind. In the early 1500’s, legend speaks of a Spanish explorer named Ponce De Leon, who sought after the Fountain of Youth, said to restore the age of anyone who drank from it. From many other cultures, the phoenix represents immortality because it has the ability to resurrect itself after death. The answer to living forever seems unrealistic, but as our knowledge of science and technology advancing at a fast rate, we might have come across a way to extend life.

Scientists now know that the aspect of aging is how the cell loses information, such as a DNA deteriorating and the cell loses its ability to perform important functions. Eventually, the cell dies.

The telomeres (white) on the ends of the chromosomes.

Inside a cells nucleus, there are rod-like strands of DNA called chromosomes that contain genetic information. At each end of a chromosome are telomeres that act like the aglets of shoelaces, protecting it from deterioration. In 1961, biologist Leonard Hayflick discovered that because the telomere shortens every time the cell divides, there is a point where cell division would stop. This was named the Hayflick Limit.

Some cells do not have a Hayflick limit, such as cancer. Cancerous cells will duplicate an infinite amount of times, until they are killed by an outside agent. Unfortunately, human cells have a Hayflick limit, therefore our life can end due to aging. So how is it possible that cells like cancer not have a limit to their division?

The answer is called Telomerase. This is an enzyme which produces new Telomeres, granting cells the essence of youth. In fact, an experiment involving adding active Telomerase to certain animals did produce the result of having a much longer lifespan. Scientists though are still unsure of a way to give humans the active enzyme without causing the risk of cancer. If we can find a way to control Telomerase from producing cancer, then immortality may be possible! Perhaps the fountain of youth Ponce De Leon was looking for, was only hidden deep in his own blood.