You ever sit down and wonder if we human could maybe live for a few more years? Or maybe even think how on earth jellyfish continue to confuse and deny every established fact of life? Or maybe even how they gained the title of immortality? Today, we may get some of our questions answers. Or…more specifically, how we could potentially combine these two questions to get the ultimate debate: How can humans extend their lifespan?
Let’s take a closer look at our friend, the “Immortal jellyfish” for this. A research founded by two scientist, Dr. Ádám Sturm and Dr. Tibor Vellai, gives us a fascinating insight into this creature’s genome. Their research focused on something called “transposable elements” or “TEs”. Think of them as movable parts in our genome. When these TEs move around too much, they can potentially mess up the instructions and this might be one of the reasons why we age. Hence to study this, the
“Piwi-piRNA pathway” was created that observes the process in cells which don’t really grow like Stem cells and the Immortal jellyfish.
When they boosted this pathway into an experimental worm, the results were indeed captivating. The worm had achieved a longer lifespan. The scientists had found a way to downregulate the activity of TEs. This study shows us that we can actually extend the aging process. And the best part is, that the positive effects on the lifespan can stack up.
The potential of this experiment opens up an enthralling avenue for further discoveries and more accurate experiments. As we dive deeper into this, we can find inspiration in the remarkable mechanism of longevity and with a bit of luck can maybe even get a glimpse of what it feels like. But it leaves the question, would you take that leap
Gulali Sher, M2, Beaconhouse Potohar A Level Student