Some of the mystery surrounding ageing, death and cancer has been dispelled by a major new study in the UK. Scientists from Cancer Research UK and the Breast Cancer Campaign claim to have discovered a system for holding the ravages of time at bay. This involves adding thimble-like caps to the ends of chromosomes in order to protect DNA from damage and slow the ageing process. Because cancer cells may rely on this type of DNA capping for their remarkable ability to grow and divide eternally - ignoring the normal constraints on lifespan - the discovery could provide a new route of attack for up to 10 per cent of tumours.
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