> It’s been a while, but if I could recall correctly, cells tended to have a finiteness in their very nature.
This is known: https://en.wikipedia.org//wiki/Hayflick_limit
This is known: https://en.wikipedia.org//wiki/Hayflick_limit
Like the reproducibility is contingent on so many factors. Very depressing and tedious.
There’s definitely a lot we don’t know and the knowledge gap is huge. And even if it can be done in the lab, translating some finding to a workable therapeutic is another story.
The trick is to have some cells starting the process over. Sexual reproduction always started from pre-existing cells, rebuilding a full individual.
Using this process to repair all the living cells does not seem impossible.
Our understanding of DNA programming is far from sufficient to enable this kind of project, but I don't see why it could not be possible at some point.
Then there are transposons, elements of ancient retroviruses embedded in our DNA, that can awaken and spray themselves thousands of times over the cell's genome. Usually, these new inserts don't hit anything important. Usually. Germline cells have mechanisms to suppress this, but most cells undergo this once a month.
You are talking about a lot of damage to repair in an older cell.