In today's society, cancer is one of the deadliest and most widespread diseases that exist. However, new research conducted on telomeres and telomerase provides insight into not only the aging process and cell mortality, but also how the idea of ​​cell death relates to cancer cells. By gaining knowledge about the supposed immortality of cancer cells, researchers are gaining a greater understanding of the topic and attempting to work on alternative techniques to provide treatment for the disease. The connection between telomeres and cancer and the landmark discoveries being made about them is revolutionizing the world through potential current and future applications that have significant implications for cancer treatment, and for society, economics and technology. First, there is an unmistakable link between telomeres, telomerase, and cancer. In eukaryotic cells, chromosomes are linear, non-deviant DNA molecules1. For this reason and the natural technicalities of DNA replication, small amounts of DNA are not replicated and are lost each time a cell divides1. To prevent irreplaceable and important genes from being lost and causing damage to the cell, telomeres, which are non-coding strands of DNA, are present at the ends of the chromosomes,2, 8. The shortening of telomeres is associated with cell mortality; when telomeres run out, the coding regions of the chromosomes are instead susceptible to being damaged, leading to loss of cellular function and possible cell death2, 8. Telomeres are produced by an enzyme called telomerase, which ceases to be fully active after embryo development2. Recent research has shown that shortening telomeres paves the way for cancer, driving gene... middle of paper... and immortality." Young Scientists Journal January-June 2013: 9. Science in Web Context. 19 May 2014.9. Travis, John. “Endgame: Chromosome Tips May Hold Secrets of Cancer and Aging.” Nathan. “Enzyme Cap Fights Cancer.” May 19, 2014, “Fountain of Youth.” Cellular enzyme with rejuvenating powers is providing clues about cancer and how to reverse the aging process.” Popular Science Feb. 1999: 57+. Science in Context. Web. 19 May 2014.12. "Chemotherapy." World of Scientific Discovery. Gale, 2007. Science in context. Web. May 23, 2014.13, Rebecca J. "Radiotherapy." May 24th 2014.