By Arkadi Mazin – Lifespan.io –
This approach reduced telomere loss in these cells nearly to nothing.
The chromosome guardians – attrition of telomeres, repetitive sequences that cap chromosomes, is one of the original hallmarks of aging. Our cells’ replication machinery does not copy the last few base pairs at chromosomes’ ends. These telomeres act as “surplus” DNA that does not contain valuable information and can be sacrificed. This also means that with each division, telomeres become shorter, which can eventually trigger cellular senescence. Previous research has found that telomere attrition in leukocytes, such as T cells, can predict chronic disease and mortality.
