Could Telomeres Be the Answer to Cancer and Aging in Cells

In our cell nucleus, our genes are located in double-stranded DNA molecules called chromosomes. At the top and bottom of the chromosome there is a DNA fragment called telomere to protect our genes. Telomere resembles the end of the string (because they are not wearing edges of the chromosome). However, when the cell divides, the telomeres become shorter and shorter. If it is too short, the cells will not divide.

Immortal: Like humans, normal cells have a lifespan. When they reach a certain age they will die. In contrast, cancer cells have paved the way to "ignore" death. At the end of our chromosome there is a structure called telomere. Telomere shortens as each cell divides. When telomere is short enough, the cell dies. Cancer cells have found a way to repair telomeres so that cells do not continue to shorter as they divide. Therefore, cancer cells are immortalized to some extent.

Some researchers say that cancer cells have unique features that "cantify" cancer cells. Enzyme telomerase is used to prolong the life span of cancer cells. Telomere of most cells shortens after each division eventually leading to cell death, but telomerase extends the cell's telomere. This is the main cause of cancer cells accumulating over time and causing tumors. As tumor cells become drug-resistant, the cells change to a state like stem cells at the same time. It seems that therapy itself promotes this conversion by activating specific molecular pathways. Fortunately, some of the existing drugs such as bortezomib can reverse the conversion of cells by attacking this pathway, so there are "resensitized" tumor remedies.

The length of telomere will be shorter with age. When telomere gradually shortens, cell death and conversion to cancer occur, which affects individual's health and lifespan. However, the telomere shortening rate may be increased or decreased depending on specific lifestyle factors. A better choice of diet and activity has the potential to reduce telomere shortening or at least prevent excessive telomere contraction and lead to a delay in the onset of the disease and the lifespan of the age-related disease. (resource)

Scientists have long believed that the shortening of telomere can solve human aging problems. They think that this is a "cell clock" that can suppress aging. However, there are some problems with this idea. In humans, not all types of tissues contain active replicating cells. Brain cells are an example. The heart muscle cells are another example. Telomere shortening is also not ubiquitous in species. For example, cells of flies and aphids are not replicated so much. In mice, telomere is often referred to as telomerase enzyme elongation, an enzyme rarely seen in non-cancer cells. Scientists concluded that they do not control it, although telomere and aging can cause human aging. A very interesting recent experiment found that mice that were used to accelerate telomere shortening show signs of accelerated aging and that mice designed to maintain telomere length show signs of slow acceleration It was.