I was directed to ask these questions here. Perhaps someone can help.

>They can be modified and multiplied indefinitely in the culture dish

What conditions exist within a culture that allow stem cells (or other cells) to replicate without regard for the Hayflick limit? I was totally unaware that we had extended it (not defeated it) in any life more complex than a worm. And on the topic of the Hayflick limit…

>What is special about the reprogrammed cells of the Heidelberg researchers is that they are a homogeneous cell type that resembles a stage of neural stem cells that occurs during the embryonic development of the nervous system.

Are they saying that the stem cells can be reprogrammed into cells that more greatly resemble younger human cells, or that they're actually being made into scientifically-defined younger cells? How is that even possible? I was under the impression that all cloned cells retained their telomerase length. As such, any clone (or cloned tissue) made from them isn't going to be any more "youthful" than the original. If the case is that an entirely cloned organism is made, it will only a life expectancy as long as the original has LEFT to live–since the telomere isn't restored to its original length.

I guess they wouldn't call it a "regenerative" therapy if they hadn't fixed the telomere length problem in the cloned cells, but… if they have, isn't that sort of the single biggest fucking deal in human history? Isn't this the first time that human cells have been genuinely restored to youth, and could therefore be reapplied into a person to extend his life? And, thereafter, be the gateway into figuring out how to simply restore the DNA of cells in the body without excision and replacement?

Thanks for any answers!