For Clinicians
Science & Medicine: Telomeres in Aging, Health, and Disease
Shortening of human telomeres, the protective “caps” at the ends of chromosomes, is a natural phenomenon of cellular aging 1-2, and in humans, shortening can be accelerated by genetic and environmental factors, including multiple forms of stress such as oxidative damage, biochemical stressors, chronic inflammation and viral infections 3-4.Telomere length (TL) provides a measure of stem cell and immune system senescence, and provides a measure of health, disease risk, and potential of the body to respond to drugs. A subset of the over 4400 publications related to telomere biology, aging and disease can be found on our citations page.
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Telomeres become “dysfunctional” when they are critically short, triggering a DNA damage response that often culminates in loss of cell and tissue function, and ultimately a broad range of diseases and early mortality. Short telomeres have been linked to risk of cancer 5, infectious diseases 6, fibrosis 7-8, metabolic syndrome/diabetes 9-11 and numerous other conditions 8,12.
In addition, TL in cell and tissue grafts may be predictive of graft survival and function in patients 13-14. In a growing number of studies, changes in TL or telomerase activity have also been correlated with disease risk or outcome 3,15.
Although the old dogma based on population studies was that telomeres inexorably decline with age, multiple recent studies have now shown that TL can increase over time in humans and is likely responsive to lifestyle factors 16-17. Thus, unlike the rest of the genomic DNA, which is generally the same throughout life, telomeres are unique in that they can be dynamically altered by telomerase, lifestyle, and environmental factors.
Telomeres shorten in a “dose responsive fashion”, serving as a cumulative measure of these exposures, and in turn short telomeres inform us about both disease risk and likely response to certain drugs and interventions 18-22.
Consequently, validated assays for TL, telomerase activity, and telomere dysfunction or ‘uncapping’ of the telomere, both singly and in combination (“Telome Measures”), will position THINC to provide novel and powerful new ways to monitor health status and permit physicians to prescribe prophylactic or therapeutic intervention tailored to the needs of the individual patient.
Importantly, telome measures can be performed on readily available samples: for example, from blood draws, cheek swabs, or saliva.
In addition, TL in cell and tissue grafts may be predictive of graft survival and function in patients 13-14. In a growing number of studies, changes in TL or telomerase activity have also been correlated with disease risk or outcome 3,15.
Although the old dogma based on population studies was that telomeres inexorably decline with age, multiple recent studies have now shown that TL can increase over time in humans and is likely responsive to lifestyle factors 16-17. Thus, unlike the rest of the genomic DNA, which is generally the same throughout life, telomeres are unique in that they can be dynamically altered by telomerase, lifestyle, and environmental factors.
Telomeres shorten in a “dose responsive fashion”, serving as a cumulative measure of these exposures, and in turn short telomeres inform us about both disease risk and likely response to certain drugs and interventions 18-22.
Consequently, validated assays for TL, telomerase activity, and telomere dysfunction or ‘uncapping’ of the telomere, both singly and in combination (“Telome Measures”), will position THINC to provide novel and powerful new ways to monitor health status and permit physicians to prescribe prophylactic or therapeutic intervention tailored to the needs of the individual patient.
Importantly, telome measures can be performed on readily available samples: for example, from blood draws, cheek swabs, or saliva.