Recent reports claim that the flatworm could hold the key to immortality. Stephen Cave summarizes:
[T]he cells in our human bodies can only replicate a certain number of times before the bits which protect our DNA (called telomeres) become frayed. The resulting unreliability in the replication process is thought to be a crucial part of what causes ageing. Flatworms, on the other hand, use an enzyme called telomerase to protect their telomeres, so their cells can replicate indefinitely. All we have to do is learn how to perform this trick for ourselves and we too will be immune to the ravages of time.
Cave tempers the excitement:
Making cells immortal is a risky business. Some of our cells already start producing telomerase so that they can replicate indefinitely—we call this cancer.
The Dish 