Brain cells may survive organisms

BEIJING, Feb. 26 (Xinhuanet) -- Brain cells can live longer than the organisms in which they reside, according to a study in Monday’s journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The researchers from University of Pavia in Italy took neurons, or brain cells, from mice and implanted them into the brains of about 60 rat fetuses.

The study outcome showed that the neurons transplanted from mice were still alive when the rats died.

That means it's possible the cells could have survived even longer if they were transplanted into a longer-lived species.

The finding is good news for life extension enthusiasts.

But it doesn't mean humans could live forever, even if brain cells may be proved to live longer than expectation.

Scientists still don't understand exactly what causes people to age, said study co-author Dr. Lorenzo Magrassi, a neurosurgeon at the University of Pavia.

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