Telomere News and Research

Latest Telomere News and Research

Cats could be a valuable model organism for geneticists, expert says

Although cats have lived alongside humans for millennia, it remains a dogs' world. This bias has historically bled into science as well.

28 Jul 2021

Study brings scientists one step closer to solving the mystery of aging

The human body is essentially made up of trillions of living cells. It ages as its cells age, which happens when those cells eventually stop replicating and dividing.

23 Jul 2021

Study explores the intersection of culture and health among Mexican women and children

As we move through life, our bodies get older. Aging is inevitable, but how fast it happens can vary considerably. Physical and environmental stressors can accelerate the process, and culture may interact with biology in ways that are not fully explored.

7 Jul 2021

What makes the elderly more susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection?

Why is severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019), biased towards infecting the aged population? A recently published study by Italian scientists linked aging, DNA damage, telomere shortening, and increased levels of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) to this relationship.

13 Jun 2021

Study shows that telomeres shorten most rapidly during early childhood

Telomeres are protective caps on DNA that shorten as we grow older. Now, one of the first studies to examine telomere length (TL) in childhood finds that the initial setting of TL during prenatal development and in the first years of life may determine one's TL throughout childhood and potentially even into adulthood or older age.

25 May 2021

Full assembly of human chromosome 8 reveals novel genes, disease risks

The full assembly of human chromosome 8 is reported this week in Nature. While on the outside this chromosome looks typical, being neither short nor long or distinctive, its DNA content and arrangement are of interest in primate and human evolution, in several immune and developmental disorders, and in chromosome sequencing structure and function generally.

8 Apr 2021

Researchers define genetic landscape of uterine leiomyosarcomas

In a new study, Yale Cancer Center researchers have defined the genetic landscape of uterine leiomyosarcomas (uLMS).

6 Apr 2021

New approach may lead to novel treatments for renal fibrosis

Ageing is a common factor in many diseases. So, what if it were possible to treat them by acting on the causes of ageing or, more specifically, by acting on the shortening of telomeres, the structures that protect chromosomes?

16 Mar 2021

Study opens the door to new possibilities targeting telomeres to help treat cancer

The Telomeres and Telomerase Group led by Maria A. Blasco at the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre continues to make progress in unraveling the role that telomeres -the ends of chromosomes that are responsible for cellular aging as they shorten- play in cancer.

10 Mar 2021

BMI, male sex, smoking, depression and metabolic syndrome contribute to biological aging

A 'biological age' score predicts that being male, overweight, a smoker and having depression all contribute to biological aging, a study published today in eLife reports.

9 Feb 2021

Researchers assess impact of family migration on infant well-being

While the number of immigrants from Arab countries to the United States has steadily increased over the past several years, family and child health research on this population remains scarce.

4 Feb 2021

New study unravels complete sequence of DNA repair mechanism

Every living organism has DNA, and every living organism engages in DNA replication, the process by which DNA makes an exact copy of itself during cell division. While it's a tried-and-true process, problems can arise.

25 Jan 2021

Study finds association between severity of COVID-19 and shorter telomeres

Patients with severe COVID-19 disease have significantly shorter telomeres, according to a study conducted by researchers at the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre in collaboration with the COVID-IFEMA Field Hospital, published in the journal Aging.

11 Jan 2021

Study explores link between aging, obesity, and metabolic diseases

Unraveling the links among obesity, aging, telomere lengths and metabolic diseases is the subject of the study published today in Nature Metabolism by a collaborative research team at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth).

14 Dec 2020

Research sheds light on the mystery cause of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

New research could shed light on the mystery cause of a lung disease that is a major killer, and potentially unlock new treatments.

8 Dec 2020

Researchers develop telomerase gene therapy for treating different pathologies

After several years of research and many joint scientific publications, molecular biologists Maria Blasco (National Cancer Research Centre, CNIO) and Fàtima Bosch (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, UAB) have developed a telomerase gene therapy for the treatment of different pathologies related to shortening telomeres and, therefore, ageing.

2 Dec 2020