A 115-year-old woman’s blood may provide insight to life expectancy, and how cell duplication works. Hendrikje van Andel-Schipper lived to be a 115-years-old. She held the honor of being the oldest woman in the world up until her death in 2005. Her blood is now being scrutinized years later.
A group of Dutch scientists published a study from the Journal Genome Research. After analyzing her blood, they ultimately concluded that life expectancy does have a shelf life. This is because the cells can only divide and duplicate so much. Essentially they have an expiration date. Also, according to a study by new scientist, Andel-Schipper was down to her final two stem cells, and they were compensating for two thirds of the white cells that were in her body.
Cells have an experation date. However, the new question posed now, and one that sounds like it could be the birth a science fiction plot, is according to head Henne Holstege of the VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam . ” Can you get round that by replenishment with cells saved from earlier in your life?” Also, stem cells for old bodies could be rejuvenated from the stem cells from young bodies. The cells earlier in life could expand the lifespan of people on this earth.
This sets an interesting outlook for the future. The idea of never losing a loved one or even holding on to your own life sounds too good to pass up. However, the world is already over populated. There just aren’t enough resources on Earth.