ISTOCKPHOTO.COM, FELIX MOCKEL
Telomeres are protective lengths of repetitive DNA at the end of chromosomes that shorten with each cell division. When a single telomere gets down to a critical length, it triggers a damage response that causes the cell to become quiescent. If enough cells in a tissue become quiescent or go into apoptosis, then the tissue suffers functionally—the main symptom of aging. Altering the shortening of telomeres could be a way of slowing down the overall aging process. Ronald DePinho and colleagues at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have shown that reactivation of endogenous telomerase in adult mice extends telomeres, reversing tissue atrophy (Nature, 469:102-6, 2011).
The Scientist: Is reactivating telomerase a potential way to increase human life span?
Preston Estep: Telomere attrition is not the only ...
