Immortal Animals Reveal Anti-Aging Secrets

(Hydra species; Credit: Oinari san)

Some animals and plants that reproduce asexually "can in principle achieve essentially eternal life," according to a University of Gothenburg press release.
Scientists at the university are studying such species to find out how they avoid aging. So far, one chemical appears to be key: telomerase. This is an enzyme that protects DNA. It is more active in the longest-lived people, so its benefits likely extend throughout the animal kingdom.

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