Escape Probability

Replication limits create a nonzero probability that no escape mutation ever occurs. Under limits, the Luria-Delbruck limiting no-mutant probability is nonzero, while without limits it is zero. A complete statistical treatment of immortalization-rate estimation is outside the paper's scope. The escape probability under replication limits is one minus the limiting no-mutant probability. The formulas for limiting no-mutant probability can quantify the probability that a clone escapes replicative senescence. P0-based inversion could support fluctuation methods for estimating telomerase activation or immortalization rates.