The quest for human immortality is, by any measure, a daringly
ambitious endeavour that has intrigued us all on some level.
This age-old quest has been naively pursued by many individuals,
perhaps most famously by sixteenth century Spanish conquistador
Juan Ponce de Leon, who believed he had stumbled upon vitality-
restoring waters in what is modern day Florida. This supposed
fountain of youth in St. Augustine, Florida, now serves as a
playful archaeological park attracting thousands of eager
tourists every year. But the advent of scientific inquiry has
made it possible to explore some of our seemingly outlandish
ideas in a manner that may result in actual solutions, and
telomerase therapy may provide the solution to de Leon’s
particular quest. So what is telomerase therapy, and why should
we take notice? To answer this question, we should first explore
some background knowledge regarding basic cell biology.
Telomeres protective caps covering the ends of chromosomes. They
safeguard our genetic information thro