INJECTING tiny loops of DNA into cells could give them a new lease of life. The finding could spawn new techniques for growing organs for transplant and novel treatments for age-related diseases.
The DNA loops were designed to lengthen stretches of DNA called telomeres, which are found at the ends of every chromosome. Telomeres normally become shorter each time a cell divides. When they become too short, the cell stops dividing. This has led researchers to implicate telomeres in ageing and some ageing-related diseases.
Eric Kool and his team of chemists at Stanford University in California built each DNA loop…
