October 13, 2021
A new study in Nature Genetics has further illuminated the genetic regulation of telomere length and what implications it may have for various diseases and longevity. Telomeres and aging in humans Why we age: Telomere AttritionTelomeres are DNA regions located at the ends of a chromosome. Their normal length is 8-10 thousand base pairs, yet...
July 13, 2021
A new study published in Aging has shown a link between a reduction in telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT), the gene that allows for telomere maintenance, and the development of myofibroblasts, cells that are a part of organ fibrosis. It also documents the link between telomere attrition and cellular senescence, two of the hallmarks of aging....
May 10, 2021
A team of researchers, including Michael West of AgeX Therapeutics, has authored a review paper that posits a fundamental difference between "immortal" germline cells and "mortal" somatic cells. The two types of cells This review paper, which cites 175 other papers, goes back throughout history, discussing the very earliest scientific theories of aging. It talks...
March 25, 2021
A team of researchers led by Dr. Maria Blasco of the Spanish National Cancer Research Center has shown that shorter telomeres make mice more susceptible to kidney fibrosis [1]. The new study not only clearly demonstrates this link but also provides mouse models which can be used to study – and perhaps eventually address –...
March 23, 2021
The Journal Club returns live on our Facebook page on Wednesday, March 31, at noon Eastern time. This month, we will be taking a look at a new paper from Dr. Maria Blasco and her team that discusses how short and dysfunctional telomeres sensitize the kidneys to develop fibrosis [1]. Accumulation of short telomeres is...
January 20, 2021
New research published in Aging has analyzed the telomeres of patients hospitalized due to COVID-19. Why we age: Telomere AttritionTelomeres are DNA regions located at the ends of a chromosome. Their normal length is 8-10 thousand base pairs, yet they consist of repetitions of a single sequence: TTAGGG. Telomeres do not code for proteins, but...
