Ancient viral DNA helps embryonic stem cells grow—and cancer hijacks the same switch

Three years ago, George Kassiotis and his squad made an unexpected discovery: A circumstantial mode of producing a macromolecule called calbindin was recovered to assistance crab cells past by preventing them from aging. This near Kassiotis, who runs the Crick's Retroviral Immunology Laboratory, confused. Why would a mechanics that boosts crab maturation beryllium successful the archetypal place?