Stem Cell Universe with Stephen Hawking Page #5

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is the letters on that DNA

start to get damaged

from normal aging,

from the environment.

And that newspaper

or, if you will, that cell

becomes less efficient.

We really can't read

the information.

And that cell, then,

can't make

accurate copies of itself,

which then rapidly accelerates

the aging process.

But Vincent believes

this aging process

can be reversed.

His research team

at the cell health institute

claims it has already begun

rolling back the cellular clock

on our body's natural supply

of stem cells.

What we're really doing

is using the proteins

from younger cells

from another person

to reprogram older cells

from a different person.

What we've seen already

in our early studies

is that those senescent genes

that produce

inflammatory compounds

and things that are directly related

to cancer have actually been reversed.

They've been turned off.

So, that's been a very good sign

that most likely,

in the long run,

this will certainly be a safe

therapy in the next few years.

In the future,

Vincent Giampapa believes

we'll all be able to protect

ourselves against cell aging

as long as we have the foresight

to plan ahead.

Well, one of the most recent

approaches

to controlling the cellular aging

clock and the quality of those cells

is to store those stem cells

at a young age,

say between 21 and 35.

In essence, freezing

an essential part of ourselves,

put it in storage,

if you will, in the bank,

and be able to use that

later on in life

when, for instance, we might

have a problem with our heart

or our liver or our lungs.

In essence,

what we're looking to do

is somehow we have to make

copies of this newspaper

or make copies of ourselves,

put them in storage,

and be able

to go back to that storage

when we need them

for whatever purpose.

This is not skin-deep cosmetics.

It's true biological youth

driven by the incredible

regenerative power

we all have inside us...

The power of stem cells.

Our whole focus is attempting to

improve the quality of life we have,

decreasing the illnesses

we all suffer as we get older

so we can enjoy the time we have

with our families and friends

and really be more productive

as we age.

Just as we looked at the sky

to understand

our place in the universe,

stem cell scientists are looking

deep inside our bodies

to figure out how we can take

a step forward as a species.

Within the next few decades,

I am sure

they will have developed

treatments

that can extend human life

by years.

But also, I have to accept

that my life has

probably come too soon

to witness

the golden age of stem cells.

And so, to those of you

who will enter this age,

I have these words of caution.

When physicists cracked open

the world of the atom

almost a century ago,

they unearthed

a new frontier of knowledge,

one that came with

remarkable power...

And grave risk.

As we strive to master

stem cell technology,

we are gaining profound insights into

the forces of nature that create...

Sustain...

And destroy life.

A brave, new world lies

ahead of us.

I believe we will use

this knowledge

for the good of us all,

and I hope you will

prove me right.

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