DNA & Aging

[Paul Boduch (ES 1997)]

	O.K. I'm not a biologist, but I am really interested in the 
subject of this newsgroup. I actually have been meaning to go to the main 
library here on campus on read all the books on the molecular mechanisms 
of aging. Unfortunately, with all the other work keeping me busy, looks 
like that won't happen for a while.
	I've recently come across a really interesting article on food 
mutagens & DNA. It now seems quite clear that a lot of cancer is not only 
genetic, but also the result of some pesky molecules screwing up our code.
I was wondering if aging could be an aggregate result of years of damage 
to DNA & errors too numerous to be corrected in a timely fashion.
Aging definitely has to be either genetic or environmental like cancer. 
If the latter is the case, then couldn't it be simply fixed by:

	1) freezing a bunch of our youthful undamaged DNA
	2) and then breeding in large quantity 
	   a hybrid virus containing its own injection 
	   mechanism & our DNA
	3) and then simply infecting ourselves with this potion
           of youth


If the former is the case, then we could simply cure this terminal 
disease by finding the portion of our code responsible for it and 
eliminate it.

Can any knowledgable biologist explain to me the merits, if any, of this 
line of reasoning? Please e-mail directly too.