The strange life of a jellyfish may hold the key to eternal youth

I don’t want to alarm anyone, but “We are looking at a worldwide silent invasion,” according to a research scientist at the Smithsonian.

That’s the bad news.

The good news: This invasion might actually teach us how to reverse the aging process.

A species of jellyfish known as turritopsis nutricula can do something no other animal can pull off: It can regenerate its body. And it can do this over and over again, apparently sustaining its life indefinitely.

Researchers, such as Dr. Maria Miglietta of the Smithsonian Tropical Marine Institute, are studying this jellyfish species in hopes of uncovering the secret to unlimited transdifferentiation–a process that transfers cells into other types of cells.

Time will tell if this research might actually reveal a process to keep the human body young and strong for an extended lifespan. If they can figure it out, and if they can make it happen with a pill, they’ll obviously have the mother of all blockbuster drugs.

THAT list of adverse events should be interesting!

Meanwhile, turritopsis nutricula populations are growing. And growing, and growing…

In fact, this jellyfish was once found only in the Caribbean, but today its populations live in temperate ocean waters all over the world.

That’s what Dr. Miglietta calls the silent invasion.

It reads like the first scene in a sci-fi thriller: While the scientist ponders longevity secrets, millions of mutant jellyfish come ashore during the night.

That might not be so bad if they help us live longer.

To Your Good Health,

Jenny Thompson

Source:
“The World’s Only Immortal Animal” Bryan Nelson, Mother Nature Network, 3/16/10, green.yahoo.com