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Why your organs might reach 100 even if you don't - BBC
Research suggests some parts of the body age faster than others to the point that they even outlive their owners. Could understanding this better help us to live longer?
It was a desperate situation. A 19-year-old Turkish woman with liver disease was in urgent need of a transplant. While on the waiting list, she developed hepatic encephalopathy, a condition where toxins building up in her bloodstream due to her failing organ began to take their toll on her brain.
Before long, her liver started to shut down altogether and doctors rushed to save her life.
With time ticking away, their only option was a liver that had already been turned down by other hospitals. It was considered to be in bad shape – not only did it contain a cyst caused by a parasitic infection, but its previous owner was a recently deceased 93-year-old woman. The organ was old by transplant standards, particularly for a recipient so much younger.
Research suggests some parts of the body age faster than others to the point that they even outlive their owners. Could understanding this better help us to live longer?
It was a desperate situation. A 19-year-old Turkish woman with liver disease was in urgent need of a transplant. While on the waiting list, she developed hepatic encephalopathy, a condition where toxins building up in her bloodstream due to her failing organ began to take their toll on her brain.
Before long, her liver started to shut down altogether and doctors rushed to save her life.
With time ticking away, their only option was a liver that had already been turned down by other hospitals. It was considered to be in bad shape – not only did it contain a cyst caused by a parasitic infection, but its previous owner was a recently deceased 93-year-old woman. The organ was old by transplant standards, particularly for a recipient so much younger.