By 2045 death will be optional and ageing will be curable claims two genetic engineers

Two genetic engineers have claimed that death  could simply be an option by the time the year 2045 arrives. José Luis Cordeiro, born in Venezuela to Spanish parents, and Cambridge (UK) mathematician David Wood, founders of the operating system 'Symbian', have just published The Death of Death and say immortality is a real and scientific possibility that could come much earlier than originally thought. Humans will only die in accidents, never of natural causes or illness, by around the year 2045, say Cordeiro and Wood, who say it is 'crucial' that old age starts to be classified as an 'illness' so that publicly-funded research into its 'cure' can extend.

It is said that the process would involve turning ‘bad’ genes into healthy ones and eliminating dead cells from the body. “It will also involve repairing damaged cells, carrying out treatments with stem cells and ‘printing’ vital organs in 3D.It said that Nanotechnology was key, among other new genetic manipulation techniques. In the report, the engineers said that ageing was the result of DNA ‘tails’, known as ‘telomeres’, in chromosomes – of which every cell except red blood and sex cells has 23 pairs. The report said that becoming shorter and reversing ageing involves lengthening the telomeres.“ Telomeres become damaged and shortened with the passage of time, a process that speeds up in the event of toxins entering the body – smoking, alcohol and air pollution are among elements that reduce the length of telomeres, thus accelerating ageing, ”it said.

The report further said that major international corporations such as Google would be ‘entering the field of medicine’ because they are ‘beginning to realise that curing ageing was possible’. “The engineers believe that within 10 years, illnesses such as cancer will be curable,” the report said. It said that immortality would not necessarily mean the planet becomes over crowded because there was plenty of room for more people on earth. “These days, people do not have anywhere near as many children as they did in past decades and centuries. Also, it will be possible to live in space by then,”it said. On the cost, the report said that initially, it would be expensive, but with a competitive market, the price would gradually fall because it would benefit everyone. The report said the cost of anti-ageing treatment would be compared to that of the latest Smartphones. (NAN)