Telomere

A telomere is a region of repetitive DNA at the end of a chromosome, which protects the end of the chromosome from deterioration.

What are Telomeres?

Telomeres are crucial parts of the chromosome that act to protect them and ensure DNA replication is performed effectively.

Systemic Telomere Length and Aging

Latest Telomere News and Research

Working with service dogs may help slow biological aging in female veterans

New research finds that "man's best friend" may help slow biological aging in women. This groundbreaking study, focused on female veterans in the United States, is among the first to examine the impact of working with service dogs on this often-overlooked population.

7 Oct 2025

Wasatch Biolabs expands service portfolio with Oxford Nanopore assays in Pharmacogenomics, Telomere Sequencing, and mRNA Vaccine Quality Control

Wasatch BioLabs (WBL), a Renew Biotechnologies subsidiary, and the largest U.S. sequencing service provider dedicated exclusively to long-read sequencing, today announced the addition of three Oxford Nanopore-developed research-use-only (RUO) assays to its service portfolio: a Pharmacogenomics (PgX) panel, Telomere Sequencing, and mRNA Vaccine Quality Control.

7 Oct 2025

Study explains how genetics and lifestyle combined to keep a 117-year-old healthy

Scientists conducted a multiomics study of the world’s oldest verified person (117 years), uncovering protective genetic, immune, metabolic, microbiome, and epigenetic traits that supported her exceptional longevity. These findings highlight how aging and disease may, under rare circumstances, be decoupled.

25 Sep 2025

Study shows dementia patients exposed to pollution had longer telomeres

Researchers studying a Swedish aging cohort found no overall link between air pollution and telomere shortening, a key marker of biological aging. Intriguingly, dementia patients exposed to higher pollution showed longer telomeres, though results were statistically non-significant.

24 Sep 2025

POT1 gene mutation linked to pulmonary fibrosis through telomere dysfunction

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is a potentially fatal disease currently without treatment, in which lung tissue develops scarring and becomes stiff, making breathing increasingly difficult over time.

18 Sep 2025

Targeting telomere damage offers new path to boost cancer immunotherapy

Tumors are stressful places for cancer-fighting immune cells. Low oxygen, high acid levels, and other stressors put strain on mitochondria, the cell's energy factories, leading to T cell exhaustion and poor cancer outcomes.

10 Sep 2025

Researchers uncover a previously unknown mechanism behind chromosome end protection

Researchers have uncovered a previously unknown mechanism that safeguards the chromosome ends from being mistakenly repaired by the cell.

9 Sep 2025

Spaceflight accelerates aging of human blood stem cells

Researchers from University of California San Diego Sanford Stem Cell Institute have discovered that spaceflight accelerates the aging of human hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs), which are vital for blood and immune system health.

4 Sep 2025

Engineered telomerase RNA offers temporary boost to telomere length in human stem cells

Much the way the caps on the ends of a shoelace prevent it from fraying, telomeres - regions of repetitive DNA sequences and a protein structure - protect the tips of chromosomes from damage.

14 Aug 2025

Researchers uncover dozens of traits driven by maternal versus paternal genes

Researchers developed a high-accuracy method to infer whether genetic variants come from the mother or father without needing parental genomes, analysing 286,666 UK Biobank participants. They uncovered over 30 parent-of-origin effects on traits from growth and metabolism to diabetes, many showing opposite effects depending on parental source.

7 Aug 2025

The vicious circle of aging and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD, formerly NAFLD) and aging are locked in a vicious circle: senescence of liver cells accelerates fat accumulation, inflammation and fibrosis, while chronic steatosis in turn hastens hepatic decline.

1 Aug 2025

New study identifies genes that shape human brain features

What makes the human brain distinctive? A new study published July 21 in Cell identifies two genes linked to human brain features and provides a road map to discover many more.

21 Jul 2025

Psilocybin may have potential to revolutionize anti-aging therapies

As revenues from the anti-aging market-- riddled with hope and thousands of supplements–– surged past $500 million last year, Emory University researchers identified a compound that actively delays aging in cells and organisms.

9 Jul 2025

Novel tool offers a glimpse into the black box of ALT in aggressive cancers

Each time a cell divides, a small section of each chromosome's protective cap - the telomere - is worn away. Most cells use an enzyme called telomerase to help mitigate this loss, but 10% to 15% of cancers have another mechanism called the alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT) pathway.

4 Jul 2025

Ribonucleases revealed as key players in Mendelian disorders

A new review brings to light the pivotal role of ribonucleases (RNases) in shaping the molecular foundation of Mendelian disorders.

26 Jun 2025

Healthier lifestyle choices could mitigate telomere length-associated brain disease risks

Scientists from Mass General Brigham explored the associations between telomere length-which decreases as a person ages or is exposed to unhealthy environments-and the risk for age-related brain diseases.

12 Jun 2025

Healthy lifestyle habits may shield aging cells from brain disorders

Stroke and dementia as well as late-life depression are more common in people who have a biomarker of aging called short leukocyte telomere length, according to a study published on June 11, 2025, online in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

11 Jun 2025

Cutting back on sugary drinks may protect men’s fertility, review finds

Regular consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages is associated with lower sperm count, motility, and increased DNA damage, potentially impairing male reproductive health. This narrative review highlights dose-response effects, mechanisms, and research gaps, calling for further studies on diverse populations.

22 May 2025

Unlocking the secrets of human longevity and healthy aging

Human healthy aging and longevity are complex phenomena influenced by a dynamic interplay of genetic, epigenetic, metabolic, immune, and environmental factors.

22 May 2025

Vitamin D supplements help preserve telomere length in aging adults

Results from the VITAL randomized controlled trial reveal that vitamin D supplementation helps maintain telomeres, protective caps at the ends of chromosomes that shorten during aging and are linked to the development of certain diseases.

21 May 2025