Immortalizing+Cells

Immortalising Cells:
Immortal cells are cells within the human body that aren't limited by the Hayflick limit. This is where cells can no longer divide either because of damage the their DNA or because their telomeres have shortened. The term immortalisation was first applied to cancer cells. This was because at the time they were the only cells discovered the possessed telomerase, which is used to extend the life of the telomere thus avoiding apoptosis. However a mutation in cancer cells allows them to extend their telomeres permanently, thus giving them their title of immortal cells.

Further Research:
As research has gone into curing cancer, an unexpected side project that arose was trying to induce immortality in normal cells, a pathway that may one day lead to extending the human lifespan. One of the main reliable ways of small scale induction of normal somatic cells is through viral-mediated induction of the SV-40 large T-antigen, commonly introduced through simian virus 40 (SV-40). SV-40 is a polyomavirus that is found in primates and humans.



By Joshua Campe

References:
Michael R. Rose; Casandra L. Rauser; Laurence D. Mueller (1983). "Expression of the Large T Protein of Polyoma Virus Promotes the Establishment in Culture of "Normal" Rodent Fibroblast Cell Lines". // PNAS // ** 80 ** (14): 4354–4358. doi : 10.1073/pnas.80.14.4354. PMC [|384036]. PMID 6308618.

Wright, W. E. & Shay, J. W (2000). Telomere dynamics in cancer progression and prevention: Fundamental differences in human and mouse telomere biology. Nature Med. 6, 849–851