Can humans become immortal? Researchers turn to jellyfish for responses

Extended life, de-growing old, and immortality are some of the principles that individuals keep fiddling with. But, so much, there have been no answers that could unlock the magic formula of immortality, if it exists. Scientists have now turned for answers to the immortal jellyfish, a creature capable of frequently reverting into a more youthful state.

Spanish scientists have managed to decipher the genome of the immortal jellyfish, Turritopsis dohrnii, and have defined different genomic keys that contribute to extending its longevity to the stage of averting its death.

Led by Dr. Carlos López-Otín of the University of Oviedo, the group mapped the genetic sequence of the unique jellyfish in hopes of unearthing the mystery to their one of a kind longevity and obtaining new clues to human ageing. The study has been posted in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

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They sequenced Turritopsis dohrnii, together with that of its sister Turritopsis rubra to establish genes that are amplified or have unique variant features among the two. Turritopsis rubra is a near genetic cousin that lacks the ability to rejuvenate after sexual replica.

Jellyfish are viewed in a new aquarium devoted to 45 unique sensitive species at the Paris Aquarium. (Photograph: Reuters)

They unraveled that T. dohrnii has variations in its genome that may make it much better at copying and fixing DNA and they appear to be much better at protecting the ends of chromosomes known as telomeres. The telomere size has been revealed to shorten with age in humans.

“Relatively than having a one crucial to rejuvenation and immortality, the numerous mechanisms uncovered in our work would act synergistically as a whole, therefore orchestrating the course of action to make certain the successful rejuvenation of the immortal jellyfish,” Maria Pascual-Torner, initial author of the short article explained in a statement.

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Like other kinds of jellyfish, the T. dohrnii goes by way of a two-component daily life cycle, dwelling on the sea flooring during an asexual stage, in which its chief role is to continue to be alive in the course of times of foodstuff shortage. When situations are ideal, jellyfish reproduce sexually. Even though numerous kinds of jellyfish have some ability to reverse ageing and revert to a larval stage, most shed this means when they get to sexual maturity, the authors wrote. Not so for T. dohrnii.

In the meantime, Carlos López-Otín, professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the Asturian university mentioned, “This do the job does not pursue the lookup for methods to reach the dreams of human immortality that some announce, but to recognize the keys and limits of the fascinating cellular plasticity that will allow some organisms to be in a position to travel back in time. From this understanding, we hope to find better solutions to the quite a few ailments connected with growing older that overwhelm us today”.

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