Death on the way out

Death has always been considered one of life's only real certainties, but now some of the world's top scientists are challenging the assumption.

Silicon Valley experts believe they are on the cusp of discovering the cause of ageing, which could help them find a cure.

Doctor and investor Joon Yun earlier this year launched the Palo Alto Longevity Prize, offering $1-million to teams competing to "hack the code of life" and come up with a way to keep people young.

Yun believes ageing is a medical problem that has a solution.

A host of experts have joined Yun as advisers. These include renowned gerontologist Aubrey de Grey and Stuart Kim, who leads Stanford University's genetics research.

"Death isn't looking so certain any more," said Yun.

The prize will go to the team that comes closest to unlocking the "secret" to ageing: homeostatic capacity or the ability of the body to stabilise in response to stressors.

So far, 15 teams have entered, including Stanford University, the genetics department at The George Washington University in Washington DC, and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York.- ©The Sunday Telegraph