News

We are alive thanks to the existence of a single gene in our bodies, the latest scientific research has revealed.

According to researchers, the removal of the single gene - known as Wilms’ Tumour - would cause our bodies to shut down in a matter of days.

Experiments were carried out in which laboratory rats had their “life genes” removed. Researchers were amazed to observe how the mice then went into rapid physical decline: After ceasing to produce red blood cells, the mice lost most of their body fat, their bones became brittle and their organs packed up.

Scientists from the Medical Research Council’s Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine describe it as “the most dramatic discovery” they have ever made. They say further study into the gene could lead them to new ways for slowing the aging process and treating major illnesses, including osteoporosis and certain cancers.

They say that over the next twenty years this breakthrough discovery will enable scientists to develop a range of new treatments.