Controversial geneticist George Church predicts future of mankind

WASHINGTON: Humans will one day farm pigs for organs and use brain transplants to cure Parkinson’s disease.That’s according to controversial Harvard geneticist Professor George Church, who says advances in DNA technology will soon change the way we live.The scientist is currently working to create pigs that grow human-compatible organs for transplants, as well as mini-brains that grow in a petri-dish.In a new interview, he said his work – alongside other gene-editing projects – could help to extend the human lifespan andeven reverse the ageing process.Speaking to Medium, he claimed several biological routes are being explored to reverse the effects of getting older.These include attempts to expand the survival of our telomeres - bits of DNA that protect the tips of chromosomes and degrade as we age.But despite a number of promising advances, Professor Church warned the eventual fix is unlikely to come in the form of a simple pill.

from The News International - World https://ift.tt/2u822Di