Researchers are drawing closer to a better understanding of the biology of telomeres, “caps” of DNA that protect the tips of chromosomes and play key roles in a number of health conditions, including cancer, inflammation and aging. The findings, by investigators from the University of Pittsburg, were published in the journal Nature Structural and Molecular… Continue reading A New Finding on Telomeres
Tag: telomere
Fighting a Deadly Enzyme
Scientists are drawing closer to understanding the structure of the enzyme telomerase, which plays a significant role in aging and most cancers. Investigators from UCLA and UC Berkeley have produced images of telomerase in much higher resolution than ever before, giving them major new insights about the enzyme. Their findings, published by the journalScience, could… Continue reading Fighting a Deadly Enzyme
A Dietary Supplement That May Fight Aging
The dietary supplement alpha lipoic acid (ALA) can stimulate an anti-aging process in mice, according to scientists at the Emory University School of Medicine. The discovery indicates a potential path to treatment of chronic diseases. The investigators found that ALA can stimulate telomerase, an enzyme that helps lengthen telomeres (the protective caps at the end… Continue reading A Dietary Supplement That May Fight Aging
Progress in Fighting Diseases of Aging?
Scientists have found a new way to increase the length of human telomeres, protective caps on chromosomes that have been linked to aging and disease. The researchers, from the Stanford University School of Medicine, said the cells treated with the new method behave as if they are much younger than untreated cells. Thanks to the… Continue reading Progress in Fighting Diseases of Aging?
A Cellular “Switch” That Could Battle Aging and Cancer
Scientists have found a new “switch” in cells that may be key to healthy aging. Cells are constantly dividing, replacing tissue in organs such as the lungs, skin and liver. But that process eventually stops when a “timekeeper,” called a telomere, becomes too short and thus prevents any further division. (Telomeres are found at the… Continue reading A Cellular “Switch” That Could Battle Aging and Cancer