telomere shortening tagged posts

Researchers have found the first evidence that telomere shortening is not just a sign of aging, but a key component of the body’s cancer prevention system. As time goes by, the tips of your chromosomes — called telomeres — become shorter. This process has long been viewed as an unwanted side-effect of aging, but a recent study shows it is in fact good for you.

“Telomeres protect the genetic material,” says Titia de Lange, Leon Hess Professor at Rockefeller. “The DNA in telomeres shortens when cells divide, eventually halting cell division when the telomere reserve is depleted.”

New results from de Lange’s lab provide the first evidence that telomere shortening helps prevent cancer in humans, likely because of its power to...

This study adds to previous evidence that air pollution causes oxidative stress, which can damage lipids, proteins, and DNA. Credit: © Pink Badger / Fotolia

Children and teens exposed to high levels of traffic-related air pollution have evidence of telomere shortening, reports a study in the May Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. Young people with asthma also have evidence of telomere shortening, according to the preliminary research by John R. Balmes, MD, of University of California, Berkeley, and colleagues. “Our results suggest that telomere length may have potential for use as a biomarker of DNA damage due to environmental exposures and/or chronic inflammation.”

The study included 14 children and adolescents living in Fresno, Calif...