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DNA is known as the blueprint of life because it replicates repeatedly in human cells to pass hereditary information from one generation to another. As cells grow and divide, our DNA is safely copied and protected by telomeres — the DNA sequences at the tips of all human chromosomes.
These cap-like structures represent but a fraction of our DNA, yet have a huge impact on the behavior of our cells. Telomeres shorten as we age. The question of whether short telomeres cause aging or the diseases of aging is a topic of much current research.
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Telomeres appear in this image as yellow dots on the end of red-stained chromosomes. The shortening of telomeres in human cells may play a role in aging.
Photo courtesy of Robert Moyzis, University of California, Irvine, CA; U.S. Department of Energy Human Genome Program, http://www.ornl.gov/hgmis. |
Telomeres were identified in the late 1970s by Elizabeth Blackburn in her lab at Yale University. Since then, the field of telomere research has exploded, with Blackburn and many others literally transforming our understanding of how cells age and die.
Exciting investigations are now underway focused on telomeres as well as telomerase — the enzyme that replenishes telomeres in the cell. Telomerase is evolving into a new tool in clinical medicine. For example, this enzyme holds the promise of engineering new life into old tissue. Blocking this enzyme, on the other hand, may inhibit the growth of cancer. Other studies are exploring the potential of telomerase for a variety of purposes.
A thorough understanding of The Basics of telomere biology may be helpful to the layperson not familiar with this complex topic. This can be followed by a review of the research taking place in labs all over the world. Some of the most current research is described in some detail under the What’s Hot section, while older research can be found in the Archives.
Last reviewed by an Infoaging expert researcher: April 2007
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