LOS ANGELES (KNX) — With Botox use among younger people on the rise and Jared Kushner's recent outlandish claim that his generation might live forever, it seems the search for the 'fountain of youth' is as prevalent as ever.
Researchers believe the answer to immortality might be found in a jellyfish called Turritopsis Dohrnii, colloquially called the "immortal jellyfish."
Maria Pascual-Torner, a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Oviedo in Spain, joined KNX News "In Depth" to discuss the immortal jellyfish, a fascinating creature with the ability to make itself younger again — sort of.
Scientists discovered the immortal jellyfish's ability to rejuvenate in the 1980s. Maria's team has now been able to sequence its entire genome, allowing them to "read the instruction book of this jellyfish."
Within the pages of its 'instruction book,' Maria and her team hope to determine how the immortal jellyfish can revert to the polyp stage after sexual reproduction. Unlike a "normal jellyfish," which continues to age after reproduction.
Although it is unclear how many times the immortal jellyfish can rejuvenate, Maria says the central focus is on understanding the cells that give the jellyfish this ability. "These cells can form into any cell in the body," much like stem cells.
So by now, you are likely asking yourself, "How does this translate to human immortality?"
Maria admits the research is far from discovering the ever-elusive fountain of youth. Still, the study shows promise for examining aging and aging-associated diseases.
"It is a really important step because we could start reading this genome, and these extraordinary jellyfish could give us clues as to where to start looking for new knowledge about the aging diseases."
Listen to the fascinating interview here.
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