Telomere News and Research

Latest Telomere News and Research

ADHD children and their mothers more likely to have shorter telomeres, say Brazilian scientists

Psychiatric disorders like Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) impact family's emotions and social life. It is well known. What is new is that this condition also affects the DNA of patients and their parents.

28 Sep 2015

Researchers find mutated gene responsible for cardiac angiosarcoma in two brothers

A few years ago, Javier Benítez, director of the Human Genetics Group at the CNIO, received a call from Pablo García Pavía, from the Cardiology Unit of the Puerta de Hierro University Hospital. This cardiologist was treating two brothers with a rare form of cancer, cardiac angiosarcoma (CAS).

26 Sep 2015

Molecular biology research holds promise in understanding cancer growth, aging

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins University have found molecular evidence of how a biochemical process controls the lengths of protective chromosome tips, a potentially significant step in ultimately understanding cancer growth and aging.

15 Sep 2015

Alpha lipoic acid can stimulate telomerase with positive effects in mouse model of atherosclerosis

In human cells, shortened telomeres, the protective caps at the ends of chromosomes, are both a sign of aging and contribute to it. Scientists at Emory University School of Medicine have found that the dietary supplement alpha lipoic acid (ALA) can stimulate telomerase, the enzyme that lengthens telomeres, with positive effects in a mouse model of atherosclerosis.

24 Aug 2015

Study stresses importance of investigating telomeres to improve diagnoses, develop treatments for many diseases

Studying telomeres, the structures that protect the ends of chromosomes, has become a key issue in biology. In recent years, not only has their relation to ageing been confirmed; defective telomeres seem to be linked to more and more illnesses, including many types of cancer.

16 Jul 2015

Latent CMV infection induces telomere shortening

The telomeres are repetitive DNA sequences at each end of our chromosomes. Studies show that in every cell division, the telomere is shortened. As a result, the telomere limits the cell to a fixed number of divisions and a limited life span. An essential part of human cells they affect how our cells age - as people with longer telomeres live longer lives. Surprisingly, people who are infected with a latent virus, that is, an asymptomatic virus, have shorter telomeres.

2 Jul 2015

Hiroshima University researchers study promising biomarker for severity of ARWMCs, endothelial function

A promising biomarker for the severity of age-related white matter changes (ARWMCs) and endothelial function was evaluated at Hiroshima University, Japan. The relationship between this biomarker, the telomeric 3'-overhang (G-tail) length, and cardiovascular risk in humans is unclear so far.

23 Jun 2015

Living in disadvantaged neighborhoods has direct impact on cellular health

Regardless of chronological age, people who live in neighborhoods with high crime, noise and vandalism are biologically more than a decade older than those who do not, according to a study led by researchers from the University of Pittsburgh.

19 Jun 2015

CNIO researchers identify new strategy to combat cancer

Scientists from the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre have discovered a new strategy to fight cancer, which is very different from those described to date. Their work shows for the first time that telomeres -- the structures protecting the ends of the chromosomes -- may represent an effective anti-cancer target: by blocking the TRF1 gene, which is essential for the telomeres, they have shown dramatic improvements in mice with lung cancer.

14 May 2015

MD Anderson researchers discover link between telomere degeneration and MDS

A study revealing fresh insight about chromosome "tails" called telomeres may provide scientists with a new way to look at developing treatments or even preventing a group of blood cell disorders known as myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS).

12 May 2015

Raising lupus awareness: an interview with Professor Ramsey-Goldman, MD

Lupus is a chronic, autoimmune disease, with many different symptoms so it is hard to diagnose. It affects each person differently and it has an unpredictable disease course with flare ups and quiet time. Some patients describe lupus as if they are riding a roller coaster with blinders on because they cannot always tell when they will feel well or sick...

11 May 2015

Study finds link between PTSD and accelerated aging

In recent years, public health concerns about post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have risen significantly, driven in part by affected military veterans returning from conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere. PTSD is associated with number of psychological maladies, among them chronic depression, anger, insomnia, eating disorders and substance abuse.

10 May 2015

Mutations in PARN and RTEL1 associated with familial pulmonary fibrosis, telomere shortening

Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have identified mutations in two genes that cause a fatal lung scarring disease known as familial pulmonary fibrosis.

5 May 2015

New discovery may change the principles for treating cancer

Danish researchers from the University of Copenhagen and Herlev Hospital have made a discovery that may change the principles for treating certain types of cancer.

30 Apr 2015

TERT gene alterations co-occur with frequently altered bladder cancer genes

In results presented today at the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2015, a collaborative study by the University of Colorado Cancer Center and the National Cancer Institute reports that the TERT gene promoter was altered in 69 percent of 54 cases of bladder cancer due to variants that occur after birth (called "somatic") and in 56 percent of bladder cancers due to inherited variants (called "germline").

21 Apr 2015

Johns Hopkins researchers find link between premature aging of telomere and lung diseases

Lung diseases like emphysema and pulmonary fibrosis are common among people with malfunctioning telomeres, the “caps” or ends of chromosomes. Now, researchers from Johns Hopkins say they have discovered what goes wrong and why.

1 Apr 2015

Johns Hopkins researchers find link between premature aging of telomere and lung diseases

1 Apr 2015

Findings may help doctors recommend appropriate treatments, improve patient outcomes

Like a car's front and back bumpers, your cell's chromosomes are capped by "telomeres" that protect this genetic material against deterioration. Still, after enough replications, a chromosome's telomeres break down and once they reach a certain point of degradation, the cell dies. This is one reason that cells are mortal: telomeres only last so long. That is, unless the enzyme telomerase builds new material onto the worn telomeres to reinforce these chromosomal "bumpers". Telomere repair can be a good thing, but in some cases it's not: overactive telomerase can lengthen telomeres until a cell becomes immortal…leading to cancer.

18 Feb 2015

Longer donor leukocyte telomere length linked to improved survival following HCT

Among patients with severe aplastic anemia who received stem cell transplant from an unrelated donor, longer leukocyte (white blood cells) telomere length (a structure at the end of a chromosome) was associated with increased overall survival at 5 years, according to a study in the February 10 issue of JAMA.

12 Feb 2015

DNA strands predict life expectancy

BYU biologist Jonathan Alder has a startling secret he doesn't freely share: he knows when most of us are going to die.

9 Feb 2015

Telomere News and Research

Latest Telomere News and Research

ADHD children and their mothers more likely to have shorter telomeres, say Brazilian scientists

Researchers find mutated gene responsible for cardiac angiosarcoma in two brothers

Molecular biology research holds promise in understanding cancer growth, aging

Alpha lipoic acid can stimulate telomerase with positive effects in mouse model of atherosclerosis

Study stresses importance of investigating telomeres to improve diagnoses, develop treatments for many diseases

Latent CMV infection induces telomere shortening

Hiroshima University researchers study promising biomarker for severity of ARWMCs, endothelial function

Living in disadvantaged neighborhoods has direct impact on cellular health

CNIO researchers identify new strategy to combat cancer

MD Anderson researchers discover link between telomere degeneration and MDS

Raising lupus awareness: an interview with Professor Ramsey-Goldman, MD

Study finds link between PTSD and accelerated aging

Mutations in PARN and RTEL1 associated with familial pulmonary fibrosis, telomere shortening

New discovery may change the principles for treating cancer

TERT gene alterations co-occur with frequently altered bladder cancer genes

Johns Hopkins researchers find link between premature aging of telomere and lung diseases

Johns Hopkins researchers find link between premature aging of telomere and lung diseases

Findings may help doctors recommend appropriate treatments, improve patient outcomes

Longer donor leukocyte telomere length linked to improved survival following HCT

DNA strands predict life expectancy

Innovation in neuroscience drug discovery - eBook eBook

Synthetic Psychedelics: A Growing Public Health Concern

How the Vutara VXL simplifies single-molecule imaging

How cohesin mechanics and nanotracker tech are redefining DNA research