Almost 40 years ago, Leonard Hayflick discovered that cultured normal human cells have limited capacity to divide, after which they become senescent â a phenomenon now known as the âHayflick limitâ. Hayflick's findings were strongly challenged at the time, and continue to be questioned in a few circles, but his achievements have enabled others to make considerable progress towards understanding and manipulating the molecular mechanisms of ageing.
[1]
J. Shay and W. Wright, âHayflick, his limit, and cellular ageing.,â Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 72â6, Oct. 2000. [PubMed]
