ISTOCK, CHRISCHRISWStresses in adulthood can take their toll on the length of telomeres, those stretches of DNA protecting the ends of chromosomes that are widely regarded as markers for cellular aging. Studies of children living in tough environments, such as with abusive parents, also hint at telomere shortening. But the relationship between telomeres and childhood stresses has not been entirely clear.
In a new study, researchers examined the effect of a health intervention entailing improved sanitation, water quality, and nutrition on the telomere length of children in their first two years of life. The results—published in eLife earlier this month (October 5)—were unexpected: the intervention appeared to have accelerated the shortening of telomeres compared to control groups.
“It’s a fascinating paper,” says Abraham Aviv, who researches telomeres at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School and who was not involved in the study. “I anticipated that if there was any effect, it would be in the opposite direction.”
Telomeres shorten with each cell division, eventually leading to genomic instability. Many factors may accelerate this shortening in late life, such as infections. Animal studies, for instance, have shown that ...
