Scientists take a step closer to an elixir of youth

"Immortal cells"? I don't think I like the sound of that. Sure, I don't want to age too quickly. But I wouldn't want to live forever either. I just picture the final scene in Death Becomes Her... not nice.

As technology advance in an exponential maner so does our lifespan. I'm sure we'll see 200 years people in no time!

scarily, the answer is inside cancer cells. Cancer cells are the only cells in the human body that can infinitely grow.

hmm i'd already heard they were doing research from the standpoint of aging being a combattable disease, but this seems like it's got significantly more potential because it'd mean that we'd have younger looking bodies for longer too.

you might get younger or stay that way for longer but what are the side effects?

It might block a natural process though causing a desease or a bad reaction.
We know nothing, the human body, the Earth and Universe is so incredibly far from what we imagine. WE ARE ONLY TACKLING A TINY HAIR OF KNOWLEDGE AND THINK WE CAN MASTER THE WHOLE

Aren't cancer cells immortal?

what's with people trying to look young? can't people just live to be wrinkly??? at least that way people would take advantage of their youth and live life to the fullest before they're too old and less mobile.

Hmmm... I'm interested. I hope taking the so-called elixir would be more effective than nanobots.

Now we can survive the zombie apocalypse! Nice!

zombies!!!!

Immortal cells sound like loads of fun but really aren't. Waste materials and genetic defects accumulate in cells over time, making older cells inefficient and, eventually, a useless drain of resources. Immortal cells are not desirable, and can be cancerous.

This article seems to be the result of a miscommunication between the researcher and the reporter. The scientist probably mentioned cell immortality as an unfortunate side effect; the reporter, hearing "immortality," probably assumed it was a good thing.

I think that the real benefit of the chemical is that it protects the DNA of a cell from "wearing out" as the cell reproduces, allowing the cell to reproduce correctly for a longer time than it would without the chemical. This is probably a serious oversimplification, but I think this interpretation is more logical than the original article's.

'immortal cells'? wow. though doesn't that mean that while our bodies stay young, we start dying inside..? I wonder what the effects of super-extended youth would be..?

Theoretically, mankind should advance technology to the point that it can reverse-engineer and create/design life itself...if the idiots of mankind manage not to destroy us first.

Then the whole "God" life experiment will have come full circle.

Immortality? sounds more like hell on earth

those "immortal cells" look like chicken nuggets

this would solve the social security problem...

Creepy much?

If we could live on the moon with 1/6th the gravity of earth I am sure that people would live hundreds of years if not more.

So if we live to infinity when do we get to retire? Death is what makes things in life interesting.... otherwise you'd just sit around saying "yeah been there done that let's go smoke some reefer" to ridiculous things like playing polo on giraffes.

Also jubal, you're right that gravity effects time and that we'd live longer but I don't think we're gunna be living on the moon anytime soon... there's not enough oil underneath to convince people to invade.

I'm pretty sure I remember an episode of the old Star Trek series that started this way. The created centuries old adolescents and killed off all the adults.

Yippie! The flithy rich are going to live longer! Happy times, happy times.

Crap. I'll probably be old by the time they get it right.

umm yeah how bout we not do that. their still trying to figure out cloning.

lets take it a step at a time. how bout we continue trying to fight a cure for breast cancer and aids shall we:)

Telomerase? T-virus anyone?

I really don't know how to feel about this one, I would love to remain youthful for several decades, but I don't know how this would work and it's side effects.

People are so afraid to die.