Source: The New York Times
Posted: September 6, 2006
Summary:
Biologists have found a correlation between lifespan and cancer in the form of a gene that switches off stem cells as a person ages. The critical gene, already well known for its role in suppressing tumors, seems to mediate a profound balance between life and death. The finding indicates that many of the degenerative diseases of aging are caused by an active shutting down of the stem cells that renew the body’s various tissues, and are not just a passive disintegration of tissues under life’s daily wear and tear, as is often assumed.
Commentary: Maybe this finding will provide scientists with new insights and strategies into treatiing age-related diseases and conditions.
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