Role in telomere. Medical search. Frequent questions

however, the mechanisms governing telomere length homeostasis in these cell types are unclear. (sens.org)

This may seem counter-intuitive, as short telomeres should activate the ATR/ATM DNA damage checkpoint and thereby prevent division. (wikipedia.org)
Resolving the question of why cancer cells have short telomeres led to the development of a two-stage model for how cancer cells subvert telomeric regulation of the cell cycle. (wikipedia.org)
The influence of LTL on functional limitation seems driven by the detrimental effect of having short telomeres rather than reflecting a linear dose-response relationship. (frontiersin.org)
The inherited disorder dyskeratosis congenita is characterized by short telomeres, mucocutaneous abnormalities, and bone marrow failure. (jci.org)
Moreover, PARN-deficient cells also possessed critically short telomeres. (jci.org)
Crosses of these telomerase null mice to other tumor prone mice show that tumor formation can be greatly reduced by short telomeres. (hopkinsmedicine.org)
Future work in the lab will focus on identifying genes that induce DNA damage in response to short telomeres, identifying how telomeres are processed and how telomere elongation is regulated. (hopkinsmedicine.org)
Some studies have found that people with CTC1 gene mutations have abnormally short telomeres, while other studies have found no change in telomere length. (medlineplus.gov)

Cancer cells overcome this replicative senescence in one of two ways: through activating telomerase, an enzyme that extends telomeres, or using another process called the alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT) pathway. (massgeneral.org)
A novel key feature is the extraction of singleton telomere variant repeats, which improves the identification and subclassification of the alternative lengthening of telomeres phenotype. (biomedcentral.com)

Age, race/ethnicity, country of origin, education, and neighborhood perceptions were independently associated with telomere length in multivariate models. (confex.com)
The research team measured telomere lengths in over 48,000 individuals and looked at their DNA and identified seven genetic variants that were associated with telomere length. (medindia.net)

These mutations inhibit the deadenylation activity of PARN, resulting in the downregulation of 4 genes involved in telomere maintenance and shortened telomeres. (jci.org)
TERRA binds to the subtelomeric and telomeric DNA forming R-loops (DNA-RNA hybrids), which are involved in telomere maintenance and telomerase function, but the role of TERRA in human cells is not well characterized. (bvsalud.org)

In somatic cells, the activity of telomerase, a reverse transcriptase that can elongate telomeric repeats, is usually diminished after birth so that the telomere length is gradually shortened with cell divisions, and triggers cellular senescence. (nature.com)
Telomerase can add telomeric repeats onto the chromosome ends, and prevents the replication-dependent loss of telomere and cellular senescence in highly proliferative cells of the germline and in the majority of cancers ( Blasco, 2005 ). (nature.com)
A critical length of telomere repeats is required to ensure proper telomere function and avoid the activation of DNA damage pathways that result in replicative senescence or cell death. (nature.com)
This loss of inhibition is one reason why telomere shortening causes senescence (Figure 1B). (wikipedia.org)
The telomere plays a key role in the continuous duplication of proliferating cells, and its erosion eventually leads to a cell's senescence. (massgeneral.org)
Also, recombination events on telomeres provide plausible explanation for stochastic nature of cell senescence, a phenomenon unjustly overlooked in broader literature. (irb.hr)
There is accumulating evidence that when only a few telomeres are short, they form end-associations, leading to a DNA damage signal resulting in replicative senescence (a cellular growth arrest, also called the M1 stage). (elsevierpure.com)
In the absence of cell-cycle checkpoint pathways (e.g. p53 and or p16/Rb), cells bypass M1 senescence and telomeres continue to shorten eventually resulting in crisis (also called the M2 stage). (elsevierpure.com)
We will argue that telomere shortening in the absence of other alterations may be a potent tumor suppressor mechanism and we will discuss the evidence for and against the major molecular mechanisms proposed to initiate replicative senescence. (elsevierpure.com)
Wright, Woodring E. / Senescence and immortalization : Role of telomeres and telomerase . (elsevierpure.com)
Telomere length is, therefore, a marker of cell ageing and senescence 5 . (ersjournals.com)
Telomere shortening during cellular senescence plays a causative role in activating progerin production and leads to extensive change in alternative splicing in multiple other genes," said lead author Kan Cao, Ph.D., an assistant professor of cell biology and molecular genetics at the University of Maryland, College Park. (sciencedaily.com)
A team of cancer scientists led by Francis Rodier, PhD, a professor at the University of Montréal, has updated the current model of cellular senescence by providing evidence that the aging-related arrest of DNA replication is caused by irreversible damage to the genome rather than simply by an erosion of telomeres. (genengnews.com)
The study is reported in an article in the journal Nucleic Acids Research, titled, " Homologous recombination-mediated irreversible genome damage underlies telomere-induced senescence . (genengnews.com)
The new multistep model for entry into telomere-mediated senescence presented in the current study reconciles observations of senescence-associated genomic instability with observations that telomere breaks are largely irreparable and that cells can tolerate telomere-induced DNA damage foci (TIF) during an unstable "pre-senescent" state. (genengnews.com)
This updated model offers a new basis for stress- or age-associated genome damage and indicates, cells that escape telomere-mediated senescence harbor irreparable genome damage. (genengnews.com)
His work demonstrates how cellular senescence depends on chronic DNA-damage signaling that results from irreparable damage to telomeres. (mayo.edu)
Furthermore, Dr. Passos uncovered a key role for mitochondria in the induction of cellular senescence. (mayo.edu)
Dr. Passos has identified a key role for mitochondria in cellular senescence. (mayo.edu)
His research has shown that as people age, mitochondria become dysfunctional and produce excessive reactive oxygen species that can accelerate telomere damage, inducing premature senescence. (mayo.edu)
Dr. Passos' research has shown a role for telomere-induced senescence in multiple tissues with aging and age-related diseases. (mayo.edu)
Telomerase expression plays a role in cellular senescence, as it is normally repressed in postnatal somatic cells resulting in progressive shortening of telomeres. (nih.gov)
In the later generations, when telomeres are short, cells die via apoptosis or senescence. (hopkinsmedicine.org)
Because telomeres function to maintain chromosomal stability, telomerase has a critical role in preventing cellular senescence and cancer progression. (medscape.com)

Telomeres, guanine-rich tandem DNA repeats of the chromosomal end, provide chromosomal stability, and cellular replication causes their loss. (nature.com)
Telomere, a complex of guanine-rich repeat sequences and associated proteins, caps and protects every eukaryotic chromosome end against chromosomal fusion, recombination, and terminal DNA degradation ( Blackburn, 2001 ). (nature.com)
They serve as guardians of genome stability but they also have dynamic features playing important role in cell aging and immortalization, both as chromosomal components or as extrachromosomal DNA. (irb.hr)
During successive cellular divisions, telomeres prevent base pair loss of chromosomal DNA. (glycemicindex.com)
Telomeres are protective DNA structures that are located at the end of chromosomes, and proper telomere maintenance is indispensable for chromosomal integrity and overall genomic stability. (oncotarget.com)
Telomerase mutations and significantly shortened chromosomal telomeres have recently been implicated in human lung pathologies. (ca.gov)
Studies in mouse suggest that telomerase also participates in chromosomal repair, since de novo synthesis of telomere repeats may occur at double-stranded breaks. (nih.gov)
Telomeres protect chromosome ends from being recognized as DNA damage and chromosomal rearrangements. (hopkinsmedicine.org)
Protection of telomeres 1 (POT1) protein specifically binds the 3' overhang of the telomere and plays a key role in chromosomal end protection and telomere length regulation. (cdc.gov)

Without telomeres, our genome would be vulnerable to damage and dysfunction. (antiaging-systems.com)
In this perspective we will present our views on the evidence for telomere dysfunction in aging and in cancer progression. (elsevierpure.com)
However, the impact of shortened telomeres and telomerase dysfunction on the ability of lung cells to respond to significant challenge is still largely unknown. (ca.gov)
In fact, the cell division caused by telomere dysfunction is so unstable that it ends up creating genetic defects. (genengnews.com)
His laboratory has developed unique methodologies to analyze telomere dysfunction in multiple tissues using super-resolution microscopy and reporter systems that allow the visualization of telomere damage dynamics in live cells. (mayo.edu)
of telomere dysfunction. (hopkinsmedicine.org)

As telomeres shorten as a natural consequence of repeated cell division or due to other factors, such as oxidative stress, shelterin proteins lose the ability to bind to telomeric DNA. (wikipedia.org)
Telomere length can also impact overall health, as shorter telomeres can increase our risk for age-related diseases like cancer and heart disease [ 2 ] and even shorten our lifespan. (antiaging-systems.com)
June 5, 2019 A new study has surprised the medical world, finding that smoking does not shorten the length of telomeres -- a marker at the end of our chromosomes that is widely accepted as an indicator of aging. (sciencedaily.com)
Telomeres progressively shorten in almost all dividing cells and most human cells do not express or maintain sufficient telomerase activity to fully maintain telomeres. (elsevierpure.com)
Telomeres are complex DNA-protein structures located at the end of eukaryotic chromosomes, which shorten with age in all replicating somatic cells 3 , 4 . (ersjournals.com)
The telomeres shorten each time a cell divides to make new cells, until they reach a critical short length and the cells enter an inactive state and then die. (medindia.net)
Therefore telomeres shorten as an individual gets older. (medindia.net)
But, individuals are born with different telomere lengths and the rate at which they subsequently shorten can also vary. (medindia.net)
As the telomeres shorten, the cell produces more progerin. (sciencedaily.com)
Enzymes remove the T-circles and therefore shorten the telomere. (medscape.com)

TA65® capsules - plant based compound to help maintain telomere length, or rebuild where necessary. (antiaging-systems.com)
Although most cancer cells activate telomerase to maintain telomere length, about 10% of tumors use an alternative telomere lengthening mechanism, the so-called ALT mechanism. (lu.se)

Telomere length was determined as relative telomere length (RTL) by comparison with an internal cell line control (1301 cells) 4 . (ersjournals.com)
From each sample, relative telomere length was measured using real-time PCR. (meresearch.org.uk)
A series of epidemiological studies have examined the association between shortened telomeres and risk of cancers, but the findings remain conflicting.A dataset composed of 11,255 cases and 13,101 controls from 21 publications was included in a meta-analysis to evaluate the association between overall cancer risk or cancer-specific risk and the relative telomere length. (duke.edu)
Furthermore, the results also indicated that the association between the relative telomere length and overall cancer risk was statistically significant in studies of Caucasian subjects, Asian subjects, retrospective designs, hospital-based controls and smaller sample sizes. (duke.edu)

The Wistar team demonstrated how TERRA mediates and partially stabilizes interactions between telomeric proteins that play essential roles in DNA replication. (news-medical.net)
TERRA associates with telomeric factors, but its precise function and mechanism of localization at telomeres had been largely unknown. (news-medical.net)
To prevent degradation by exonucleases or processing as damaged DNA, the telomere 3′ single-strand overhang folds back into the D-loop of duplex telomeric DNA to form a protective 'T-loop', which is reinforced with TRF2 and other telomeric DNA-binding proteins named Shelterin ( de Lange, 2005 ). (nature.com)
Here, we report that telomere length is determined by the balance between telomere elongation, which is mediated by telomerase, and telomere trimming, which is controlled by XRCC3 and Nbs1, homologous recombination proteins that generate single-stranded C-rich telomeric DNA and double-stranded telomeric circular DNA (T-circles), respectively. (sens.org)
We found that reprogramming of differentiated cells induces T-circle and single-stranded C-rich telomeric DNA accumulation, indicating the activation of telomere trimming pathways that compensate telomerase-dependent telomere elongation in hiPSCs. (sens.org)
Excessive telomere elongation compromises telomere stability and promotes the formation of partially single-stranded telomeric DNA circles (C-circles) in hESCs, suggesting heightened sensitivity of stem cells to replication stress at overly long telomeres. (sens.org)
The two major protein complexes that bind to telomeric DNA in S. cerevisiae are: the Cdc13-Stn1-Ten1 (CST) complex, which binds the single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) of the 3' G-rich overhang at the end of the telomere, and the Rif1-Rif2-Rap1 complex, which binds the double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) preceding the 3' overhang. (wikipedia.org)
Dr. Zou and his team postulated that such cancer cell lines were those without active telomerase, relying instead on the ALT pathway, which lengthens telomeres through recombination with telomeric DNA sequences from the same or other chromosomes. (massgeneral.org)
We found that plasma telomeric cfDNA levels decreased with age in healthy individuals ( n = 42, R 2 = 0.094, P = 0.048), suggesting that cfDNA is likely derived from somatic cells in which telomere length shortens with increasing age. (oncotarget.com)
When telomere maintenance is disrupted by excessive erosion of telomeric DNA or loss of telomere binding protein function, the cellular DNA damage response (DDR) becomes activated to repair the dysfunctional telomere [ 5 ]. (oncotarget.com)

Interestingly, telomere shortening, chronological age as well as gender difference (women live longer) only account for around 40% of the risk of dying - oxidative stress and glycation - the process of sugar binding on DNA, inhibiting it from doing its job and ultimately resulting in disease or even death - play an even larger role. (gocohospitality.com)
By moving your body vigorously several times a week (low or medium levels of exercise did not result in significantly longer telomeres in the studies), you can actively reduce inflammation and oxidative stress. (gocohospitality.com)
When we are stressed, our body releases hormones that cause oxidative stress, which, as we know, shortens our telomeres and does damage to our DNA. (gocohospitality.com)
Purpose: Leukocyte telomere length has gained attention as a marker of oxidative damage and age-related diseases, including cancer. (aacrjournals.org)
Oxidative stress plays an important part in telomere shortening in people with diabetes. (glycemicindex.com)
Furthermore, advanced glycation end product generation, enhanced glucose auto-oxidation and activation of protein kinase-C and polyol pathways also play a vital role in raising oxidative stress levels. (glycemicindex.com)
This increased oxidative stress level speeds up telomere shortening. (glycemicindex.com)
The good news is that healthy eating guidelines for preventing and managing type 2 diabetes that help people to optimise their blood glucose levels, like consuming a moderate amount of low GI carbohydrate at main meals, and eating plenty of non-starchy vegetables and low GI fruit, will also help slow the shortening of telomeres, in-part by reducing oxidative stress. (glycemicindex.com)
Given that ME Research UK-funded work has found high levels of oxidative stress and associated arterial stiffness to be a feature in ME/CFS patients ( read more ), it may be that telomere shortening is intimately linked with ongoing inflammatory processes. (meresearch.org.uk)
For example, telomere length is positively linked with nutritional status in human and animal studies ( see a review ), possibly through the effects of various nutrients on reducing inflammation and oxidative stress, and a study in 2013 found that lifestyle changes (a plant-based diet, moderate exercise, stress reduction and weekly group support) increased telomere length by about 10% in men with prostate cancer. (meresearch.org.uk)
[ 18 ] Loss of DKC1 has been reported to induce oxidative stress independent of telomere shortening. (medscape.com)

abstract = "Telomere dynamics are a critical component of both aging and cancer. (elsevierpure.com)

In a study published on-line on August 27 in Molecular Cell, the Wistar scientists, led by Lieberman, describe how they discovered the telomere proteins that interact with TERRA and the processes by which they do so. (news-medical.net)
Analogously, proteins that bind to human telomeres as part of the shelterin complex enable cell cycle progress and prevent erroneous DSB repair. (wikipedia.org)
TRF2 is unique among these proteins in its role in the formation and maintenance of T-loops: lariat structures formed by the folding of the ssDNA overhang back onto the dsDNA. (wikipedia.org)
When telomeres reach a critically short length, sufficient shelterin proteins to inhibit checkpoint activation are not available, although NHEJ and HR generally remain inhibited at this point. (wikipedia.org)
This mechanism appears to be altered by telomere shortening, and affects protein production for multiple proteins that are important for cytoskeleton integrity. (sciencedaily.com)
all genes associated with this syndrome (ie, DKC1 , TERT, TERC, NOP10 ) encode proteins in the telomerase complex responsible for maintaining telomeres at the ends of chromosomes regarding shortening length, protection, and replication. (medscape.com)
Telomere aggregates appeared to resolve upon cleavage of TRF1 proteins, suggesting that telomere associations result primarily from protein interactions mediated by TRF1. (ubc.ca)
In addition, Bcl-2 family proteins have normal physiological roles in regulating mitochondrial fission/fusion and mitochondrial energetics to facilitate neuronal activity in healthy brains. (hopkinsmedicine.org)
The CTC1 protein works as part of a group of proteins known as the CST complex, which is involved in the copying (replication) of telomeres. (medlineplus.gov)
In this study, we examined POT1 mRNA expression and telomere length and regulation by shelterin complex proteins in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and non-lavaged whole lung tissue in male Sprague-Dawley rats following exposure, by intratracheal instillation, to 2 mg/rat of manual metal arc-stainless steel welding fume (WF) particulate or saline (vehicle control). (cdc.gov)
We therefore focus on elucidating the roles of the telomere binding proteins in this process. (lu.se)

These telomere associations need to be resolved prior to cell division to avoid loss of telomere function. (ubc.ca)

The steady shortening of telomeres with each replication in somatic cells is linked to cellular aging, genetic instability, and tumor formation. (news-medical.net)
In fact, there has been a lot of buzz around telomeres and their prominent role in the process of cell ageing, and it was only recently (2009) that three geneticists (Blackburn, Greider and Szostak) won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their discovery of key aspects of telomeres and the DNA replication process. (gocohospitality.com)
In contrast to the RNA-directed DNA synthesis by telomerase, ALT relies on recombination and replication of telomere DNA to extend telomeres. (massgeneral.org)
The processes that maintain telomeres employ replication protein A (RPA), a single-stranded DNA binding protein. (massgeneral.org)
Dr. Zou and his team had previously investigated the role for RPA at telomeres3 and found that it associated transiently with telomeres during S phase of DNA replication. (massgeneral.org)
And indeed the team found that in cells that use the ALT pathway, RPA binds persistently to telomeres, not detaching after replication. (massgeneral.org)
As we age, our telomeres naturally get shorter due to cell replication and the natural wear and tear of everyday life. (antiaging-systems.com)
Conventional replication leads to telomere shortening, but telomere length is maintained by the enzyme telomerase. (hopkinsmedicine.org)
Mutations in the CTC1 gene impair the function of the CST complex, which affects the replication of telomeres. (medlineplus.gov)
In addition to the mutations that directly effect telomere length, recent studies also indicate that a DKC diagnosis should not be based solely on the length of the telomere, but also the fact that there are defects in telomere replication and protection. (medscape.com)

Telomeres, the caps on the ends of eukaryotic chromosomes, play critical roles in cellular aging and cancer. (wikipedia.org)
The telomere-shelterin complexes that cap all eukaryotic chromosomes ensure that healthy cells can progress through the cell cycle by preventing the cellular DNA damage response from identifying chromosome ends as double-stranded breaks (DSBs). (wikipedia.org)
Telomere length is a biomarker of cellular aging and predictor of chronic disease. (confex.com)
It remains unknown whether telomere shortening is simply a sign of 'cellular age' or whether it contributes to the ageing process more directly. (meresearch.org.uk)
Telomere shortening is a well-characterized cellular aging mechanism, and short telomere syndromes cause age-related disease. (evmedreview.com)
The risk of these phenotypes was mediated by extended cellular longevity and by the capacity to maintain telomeres over time. (evmedreview.com)
Our current understanding of cellular aging rests upon the uncapping of the repetitive, non-protein-coding extremities of our linear chromosomes called telomeres. (genengnews.com)
Aged, nondividing cells however continue to play an array of biological roles and their accumulation in tissues over time compromises tissue functions, linking cellular aging to organismal aging and cancer. (genengnews.com)
It cannot help in determining the cellular threshold for the number of dysfunctional telomeres that causes cells to stop dividing due to persistent DNA damage response signaling. (genengnews.com)
Genetically, we were able to reproduce the phenomenon of cellular aging in the laboratory and ensured that all the telomeres of a population of cells became dysfunctional," said PhD student Marc-Alexandre Olivier, co-first author of the study with former colleague Sabrina Ghadaouia, PhD, currently pursuing postdoctoral studies in England. (genengnews.com)
Telomere associations have been observed during key cellular processes including mitosis, meiosis and carcinogenesis. (ubc.ca)
Normal cellular ageing involves the shortening of telomeres in each cell division. (lu.se)

We examined the clinical and molecular features of aging and cancer in persons carrying heterozygous loss-of-function mutations in the telomere-related gene POT1 and noncarrier relatives. (evmedreview.com)
POT1 mutations associated with long telomere length conferred a predisposition to a familial clonal hematopoiesis syndrome that was associated with a range of benign and malignant solid neoplasms. (evmedreview.com)
The underlying genetic mutations are known in ~40% of cases and are found within genes associated with telomere maintenance and function. (jci.org)
Individuals with biallelic PARN mutations and PARN -depleted cells exhibited reduced RNA levels for several key genes that are associated with telomere biology, specifically TERC , DKC1 , RTEL1 , and TERF1 . (jci.org)
Mutations in the TERC template sequence can be incorporated into the telomeres of human tumors. (nih.gov)
However, it is unclear how CTC1 gene mutations impact telomere structure and function. (medlineplus.gov)
Researchers are working to determine how telomeres are different in people with CTC1 gene mutations and how these changes could underlie the varied signs and symptoms of Coats plus syndrome. (medlineplus.gov)

Meanwhile, Rif2 and Rap1 inhibit NHEJ: knocking out Rif2 or Rap1 results in longer telomeres as measured by PCR, indicating that NHEJ occurred. (wikipedia.org)
Heterogeneity among studies and their publication bias were further assessed by the χ(2)-based Q statistic test and Egger's test, respectively.The results showed that shorter telomeres were significantly associated with cancer risk (OR = 1.35, 95% CI = 1.14-1.60), compared with longer telomeres. (duke.edu)

Telomeres are cap- like structures at chromosome ends that play an important role in ageing and in the initiation and progression of various diseases. (medindia.net)
Linear eukaryotic chromosomes contain specialized protective structures at the chromosome ends, called telomeres, which are essential for maintaining genome stability. (ubc.ca)

a protein termed telomerase can directly add new DNA to the end of telomeres. (sciencedaily.com)
Telomeres are complex DNA-protein structures located at the end of eukaryotic chromosomes. (ersjournals.com)
The study provides insights about the interaction between a toxic protein called progerin and telomeres, which cap the ends of chromosomes like aglets, the plastic tips that bind the ends of shoelaces. (sciencedaily.com)
The research suggests that the shortening of telomeres during normal cell division in individuals with normal LMNA genes somehow alters the way a normal cell processes genetic information when turning it into a protein, a process called RNA splicing. (sciencedaily.com)
Telomeres are 'caps' of DNA and protein located at the end of chromosomes to protect them from deteriorating or becoming fused with other chromosomes when cells are dividing. (meresearch.org.uk)
Another gene implicated in DKC, TINF2 , encodes a key component of the protein shelterin, which plays a role in telomere homeostasis. (medscape.com)
The enzyme consists of a protein component with reverse transcriptase activity, encoded by this gene, and an RNA component which serves as a template for the telomere repeat. (nih.gov)
TRF1, a core component of the telomere protein complex shelterin, has been implicated as a mediator of telomere associations. (ubc.ca)
To determine the effect of TRF1 protein levels on telomere associations, we used live-cell fluorescence microscopy to visualize telomeres and chromosome dynamics in cells expressing defined levels of TRF1. (ubc.ca)
To examine the role of TRF1 in these telomere associations, we generated a TRF1 protein which can be inducibly cleaved by TEV protease. (ubc.ca)
The telomeres are the DNA-protein structures at the ends of eukaryotic chromosomes, which serve to protect and stabilize the genome. (lu.se)

A balance between elongation and trimming regulates telomere stability in stem cells. (sens.org)
These results indicate that exposure to WF down-regulated lungs POT1 which in turn activated ATR-dependent DNA damage signaling and telomere elongation in the lungs, as well as activation of telomerase-independent pathway, an alternative mechanism leading to telomere elongation in PBMCs. (cdc.gov)
In our research we aim to shed light on the molecular mechanisms for the telomerase elongation and maintenance processes of telomeres. (lu.se)

Thus, tight control of telomere length homeostasis is essential to maintain telomere stability in hESCs. (sens.org)
Telomeres play a key role in the maintenance of chromosome integrity and stability, and telomere shortening is involved in initiation and progression of malignancies. (duke.edu)

Derived from the Greek words telos (meaning end) and meros (meaning part), telomeres are the caps at the end of each DNA strand that protect our chromosomes - the structures found in most living cells that carry our genetic information. (gocohospitality.com)
The ends of these molecules are particularly prone to damage from the environment inside the cell, and thus have special structures to protect them, termed telomeres. (sciencedaily.com)
However, to precisely identify and interfere with these mechanisms in various tumor types, more insight into the different telomere structures is needed. (biomedcentral.com)

In most human somatic cells except for stem cells and lymphocytes, telomerase activity is diminished after birth so that telomere length shortens with each cell division. (nature.com)
Telomere length shortens with age in all replicating somatic cells. (ersjournals.com)

Thus, even in stem cells, except for embryonal stem cells and cancer stem cells, telomere shortening occurs during replicative ageing, possibly at a slower rate than that in normal somatic cells. (nature.com)

Measurements of telomere lengths across cell types at various ages suggest that this gradual chromosome shortening results in a gradual reduction in telomere length at a rate of approximately 25 nucleotides per year. (wikipedia.org)
We had previous evidence that shorter telomere lengths are associated with increased risk of coronary artery disease but were not sure whether this association was causal or not. (medindia.net)
Overall, telomere lengths were found to be significantly longer in the healthy controls than in the Fukuda 1994 CFS patients or in the group of 'fatigue' patients, and these differences remained significant after statistical adjustment for differences between groups. (meresearch.org.uk)

We hypothesize that leukocyte telomere length might be able to predict future risk of cancer and examined this in a cohort of patients with Barrett's esophagus, who are at increased risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma and thus were enrolled in a long-term cancer surveillance program. (aacrjournals.org)
Leukocyte telomere length hazard ratios (HR) for risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma were calculated using multivariate Cox models. (aacrjournals.org)

The project studied a feature of chromosomes called telomeres. (medindia.net)

Telomeres are nucleoprotein complexes at the ends of eukaryotic chromosomes. (biomedcentral.com)

As stem cells have elongated proliferative capacity, they should have a mechanism that maintains telomere length through many cell divisions. (nature.com)
We here present TelomereHunter, a software for the detailed characterization of telomere maintenance mechanism footprints in the genome. (biomedcentral.com)
In cancer cells, the telomerase enzyme elongates telomeres, providing a mechanism for a continued unlimited cell division. (lu.se)

The researchers have found that short or dysfunctional telomeres activate production of progerin, which is associated with age-related cell damage. (sciencedaily.com)
Telomerase is the enzyme that repairs shortened or dysfunctional telomeres, and various telomerase-activating drugs are under development, with some success as recent work on blood disorders has shown ( read more ). (meresearch.org.uk)

The more cell divisions the cell underwent, the shorter the telomeres and the greater the production of progerin. (sciencedaily.com)

As DNA cannot be changed by lifestyle or environmental factors, an association of these genetic variants which affect telomere length with a disease also would suggest a causal link between telomere length and that disease. (medindia.net)

Second, to survive after disabling the DNA damage checkpoint, precancerous cells must activate mechanisms to extend their telomeres. (wikipedia.org)
It's also essential to note telomerase is not found in all cells, so certain cells won't be able to rebuild or extend their telomeres at all. (antiaging-systems.com)

The regulation of telomere length and telomerase activity is a complex and dynamic process that is tightly linked to cell cycle regulation in human stem cells. (nature.com)
However, little is known about regulation of telomere biology during pregnancy. (confex.com)

Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the protective role of Se against heavy metal-induced TL shortening. (nih.gov)
This problem makes eukaryotic cells unable to copy the last few bases on the 3' end of the template DNA strand, leading to chromosome-and, therefore, telomere-shortening every S phase. (wikipedia.org)
One has to know that cancer cells divide much faster than regular cells, which leads to telomeres shortening more rapidly. (gocohospitality.com)
Fact: telomerase can slow, stop or even reverse telomere shortening. (gocohospitality.com)
While some scientists are still sceptical about significantly increasing a human's lifespan, others are convinced that by stopping telomere shortening, we could one day live several decades, if not centuries, longer. (gocohospitality.com)
This prediction has to be taken with a grain of salt however, as telomere shortening is identified as merely one of four major factors contributing to cell ageing. (gocohospitality.com)
Fortunately, there are ways to help slow down telomere shortening. (antiaging-systems.com)
Thankfully, there are ways to boost the production of telomerase in our body to help with telomere shortening. (antiaging-systems.com)
The mechanisms controlling telomere length and the pathways reversing shortening largely remain a mystery. (sciencedaily.com)
A recently published systematic review has investigated the relationship between the shortening of telomeres and diabetes. (glycemicindex.com)
It is theorised that telomere shortening may lead to premature pancreatic β-cell death, decreasing β-cell mass and subsequently reducing insulin secretion and glucose tolerance. (glycemicindex.com)
Unravelling the role of telomere shortening with ageing and their potential association with diabetes, cancer, and related lifestyle factors. (glycemicindex.com)
It has been shown that tobacco smoking enhances telomere shortening in circulating lymphocytes. (ersjournals.com)
The results of the current study confirm that smoking exposure enhances telomere shortening in circulating lymphocytes. (ersjournals.com)
In the present study, the authors hypothesised that the effects of tobacco smoking upon telomere length shortening would be enhanced in smokers who developed COPD, compared with those whose lung function was preserved despite their habit. (ersjournals.com)
To test this hypothesis, the rate of telomere shortening was compared with age in circulating lymphocytes harvested from smokers with and without COPD. (ersjournals.com)
This cell line is characterised by a lack of telomere shortening (and hence, constant telomere length) during cell division due to overexpression of telomerase 4 . (ersjournals.com)
Also, statins seem to have a protective role against telomere shortening, and lifestyle factors may have an important role to play. (meresearch.org.uk)
Of course, it is too early to know the precise meaning of telomere shortening in ME/CFS patients and what, if anything, should be done to combat it, but these intriguing findings add to the evidence of an underlying disease process in people with the illness, and we await the publication of the full scientific paper with great interest. (meresearch.org.uk)
In contrast to noncarrier relatives, who had the typical telomere shortening with age, POT1 mutation carriers maintained telomere length over the course of 2 years. (evmedreview.com)
Excessive telomere shortening is observed in breast cancer lesions when compared to adjacent non-cancerous tissues, suggesting that telomere length may represent a key biomarker for early cancer detection. (oncotarget.com)
Natural telomere shortening is an inevitable consequence of aging, which is also a risk factor for development of lung disease. (ca.gov)
The lab has generated telomerase null mice that are viable and show progressive telomere shortening for up to six generations. (hopkinsmedicine.org)

Telomerase is a ribonucleoprotein polymerase that maintains telomere ends by addition of the telomere repeat TTAGGG. (nih.gov)

Studies have shown taking telomerase activation supplements can help lengthen telomeres, which can help slow down the aging process and reduce the risk of age-related diseases [ 3 ]. (antiaging-systems.com)
At present, scientists are exploring interventions to lengthen telomeres. (meresearch.org.uk)

When telomere length drops below a critical threshold, the proliferative capacity of tissues becomes impaired. (frontiersin.org)
Dr. Passos' research has shown that telomeres can sense stress and become irreparably damaged during aging in a variety of tissues and age-related diseases. (mayo.edu)
Rapidly proliferating tissues with the greatest need for telomere maintenance (eg, bone marrow) are at greatest risk for failure. (medscape.com)

Although several environmental and lifestyle factors may contribute to functional deterioration, the role of biological mechanisms underlying this age-related decline are largely unknown. (frontiersin.org)
Establishment of telomere maintenance mechanisms is a universal step in tumor development to achieve replicative immortality. (biomedcentral.com)
TelomereHunter provides new functionality for the analysis of the footprints of telomere maintenance mechanisms in cancer genomes. (biomedcentral.com)

Partial pneumonectomy of telomerase null mice carrying shortened telomeres initiates cell growth arrest resulting in a limited compensatory growth response. (ca.gov)
The lab also is using the telomerase null mice to explore the essential role of telomerase stem cell viability. (hopkinsmedicine.org)

Scholars@Duke grant: The role of SMARCAL1 in glioma telomere maintenance. (duke.edu)
The role of SMARCAL1 in glioma telomere maintenance. (duke.edu)
Recently, the importance of telomere maintenance in human stem cells has been highlighted by studies on dyskeratosis congenital, which is a genetic disorder in the human telomerase component. (nature.com)
Thus, telomerase activity and telomere maintenance are associated with the immortality of cancer cells, germ-line cells, and embryonic stem (ES) cells. (nature.com)
Although these studies remain in their early stages it is hoped that the results may provide a better understanding of how the maintenance of telomeres is controlled, perhaps allowing for more targeted therapies for telomere associated disease in the future. (sciencedaily.com)
Dyskerin is composed of 514 amino acids and has a role in ribosomal RNA processing and telomere maintenance. (medscape.com)
A heterozygous mutation was found on the conserved telomere maintenance component 1 gene ( CTC1 ). (medscape.com)
Telomere maintenance is normally controlled by telomerase activity as well as telomerase-associated factors throughout the cell cycle in tissue- and cell type-specific manners [ 1 - 3 ]. (oncotarget.com)
Collectively, these results identify a role for PARN in telomere maintenance and demonstrate that it is a disease-causing gene in a subset of patients with severe DC. (jci.org)
A recent study proposes a key role for telomere maintenance in the development of clonal hematopoiesis. (cdc.gov)

Telomeres are among most important repetitive sequences, located at the end of linear chromosomes. (irb.hr)
Telomeres are short, repetitive segments of DNA that help protect chromosomes from abnormally sticking together or breaking down (degrading). (medlineplus.gov)

Here we review the role of telomeres and telomerase in the function and capacity of the human stem cells. (nature.com)
Further, we will consider the role of Stem Cells in cancer and how they are challenging conventional wisdom. (vin.com)
With each round of cell division, the length of telomeres is shortened and the enzyme telomerase compensates by maintaining telomere length in germline and stem cells. (medscape.com)

Telomere resolution and genomic instability in mouse. (ubc.ca)

Over time, telomere length decreases until the telomere becomes too short for the cell to divide, eventually resulting in the death of the cell. (glycemicindex.com)
Though telomere length decreases with age, it seems that the process is not inevitable and that they can also increase in length. (meresearch.org.uk)

Scientists suggest that telomere health, in fact, better represents our true biological age as opposed to our chronological age. (gocohospitality.com)
While many factors contribute to aging and illness, Dr. Elizabeth Blackburn discovered a biological indicator called telomerase, the enzyme that replenishes telomeres, which protect our genetic heritage. (goodreads.com)
Dr. Blackburn and Dr. Elissa Epel's research shows that the length and health of one's telomeres are a biological underpinning of the long-hypothesized mind-body connection. (goodreads.com)
Previously she was a biological researcher at the University of California, San Francisco, who studied the telomere, a structure at the end of chromosomes that protects the chromosome. (goodreads.com)
Perhaps unsurprisingly, there is an inverse association between the length of telomeres and biological ageing. (glycemicindex.com)
In other words, the shorter your telomeres, the greater your biological age. (glycemicindex.com)
This research strongly suggests that biological ageing plays an important role in causing coronary artery disease, the commonest cause of death in the world. (medindia.net)
It is well known that telomere length in white blood cells is inversely correlated with age, implying that telomere length may serve as a biological clock to determine the lifespan of a cell and an organism [ 4 ]. (oncotarget.com)

The essential helicase RTEL1 was observed at the extremities of persistent TRF1 bridges, possibly indicating a function for RTEL1 in the resolution of TRF1-induced telomere associations. (ubc.ca)

A team of researchers from The Wistar Institute have shown that a large non-coding RNA in mammals and yeast plays a central role in helping maintain telomeres, the tips of chromosomes that contain important genetic information and help regulate cell division. (news-medical.net)
This is because telomeres eventually 'run out' after a certain number of cell divisions, resulting in the loss of vital genetic information from the cell's chromosome with future divisions. (news-medical.net)
Basically, given the difference of telomere and telomerase activity in human and mouse cells, the telomere and telomerase status in stem cell populations is different between humans and mice ( Harrington, 2004 ). (nature.com)
An important facet to how telomeres function in these roles is their involvement in cell cycle regulation. (wikipedia.org)
The majority of our cells are programmed to divide between 50-70 times during their lifetime, with telomeres getting shorter during the process (until the cell ultimately dies). (gocohospitality.com)
Yet, instead of the cells dying off, cancer cells often escape their "destined" death by creating more of an enzyme called telomerase (it reads existing DNA strands and builds new strands from it), which stops the telomeres from getting even shorter, and in turn to the cancer cell multiplies again. (gocohospitality.com)
Levels of TERRA fluctuate during the cell cycle as RPA binds and detaches from telomeres. (massgeneral.org)
Our telomeres get shorter with every cell division until they eventually become too small to protect the chromosomes. (antiaging-systems.com)
In more scientific terms, telomeres protect the integrity of information carrying throughout each cell cycle by serving as specialized DNA caps on chromosomes. (glycemicindex.com)
Telomeres wear away during cell division. (sciencedaily.com)
In B6.Cg-Terc(tm1Rdp) mice carrying shortened telomeres, response to pneumonectomy was characterized by decreased survival, diminished compensatory lung growth, attenuated distal lung progenitor cell response, persistent DNA damage, and cell growth arrest. (ca.gov)
The team also showed that this stable stage is preceded by an unstable transient stage when the cell continues to divide despite uncapped telomeres. (genengnews.com)
We also observed telomere aggregates, mitotic bypass, and TRF1 bridges persisting into the following cell cycle. (ubc.ca)
In most cells, telomeres become progressively shorter as the cell divides. (medlineplus.gov)
After a certain number of cell divisions, the telomeres become so short that they trigger the cell to stop dividing or to self-destruct (undergo apoptosis ). (medlineplus.gov)
Telomeres are DNA fragments at the ends of chromosomes that protect genetic information during cell proliferation. (cdc.gov)
Telomeres control DNA damage response (DDR) and DNA repair activity during cell division by regulating ATM and ATR kinases. (cdc.gov)
To assess the role of TERRA R-loops in AML, we induced R-loops depletion by increasing RNAseH1 expression in two AML cell lines. (bvsalud.org)

At the end of each chromosome is a telomere, which acts as a protective cap. (antiaging-systems.com)
Nov. 13, 2019 Loops at the ends of telomeres play a vital protective role preventing damage to chromosomes, according to new research. (sciencedaily.com)
UCLA biochemists have determined the three-dimensional structure of a major domain of telomerase, the enzyme that helps maintain telomeres - small pieces of DNA on the ends of chromosomes that act as protective caps - allowing DNA ends to be copied completely when cells are replicated. (news-medical.net)

however, it needs to be mentioned that age is only one factor affecting their length, as modern-day influences such as stress, smoking and a bad diet can also significantly impact the length of our telomeres. (gocohospitality.com)
In contrast to never-smokers, telomere length significantly decreased with age in smokers. (ersjournals.com)

Since this RNA also facilitates the formation of DNA at telomeres-a process that can protect aging cells and destabilize tumor cells-manipulating its expression may be useful in treating cancer and other diseases. (news-medical.net)
For the first time, we determine the correlation of in silico telomere content quantification from whole genome sequencing and whole genome bisulfite sequencing data derived from the same tumor sample (r = 0.78). (biomedcentral.com)
Here, we present TelomereHunter, a new computational tool for determining telomere content that is specifically designed for matched tumor and control pairs. (biomedcentral.com)
His clinical interests include the collaborative role of vascular reconstruction during complex tumor resections. (stanford.edu)

Anatomy5

Organisms3

Diseases5

Chemicals and Drugs16

Analytical, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Techniques and Equipment2

Phenomena and Processes18

Information Science2

Governing telomere length1

Short telomeres8

Alternative Lengtheni2

Associated with telomere length2

Involved in telomere maintenance2

Senescence24

Chromosomal9

Dysfunction6

Shorten10

Maintain telomere length2

Relative telomere length4

Telomeric10

Oxidative11

Abstract1

Proteins11

Loss of telomere1

Replication10

Cellular12

Mutations7

Longer telomeres2

Chromosome ends2

Protein11

Elongation3

Stability2

Structures3

Shortens2

Somatic1

Lengths3

Leukocyte telomere length2

Chromosomes called telomeres1

Ends of eukaryotic chromosomes1

Mechanism3

Dysfunctional2

Shorter the telomeres1

Link between telomere1

Extend their telomeres2

Regulation of telomere2

Shortening23

Maintains telomere1

Lengthen telomeres2

Tissues3

Mechanisms3

Telomerase null mice2

Maintenance10

Repetitive2

Stem cells3

Instability1

Length decreases2

Biological8

RTEL11

Cell18

Protective3

Significantly2

Tumor4