Video: How telomere length impacts cancer risk

Cancer risk and the telomere length paradox

People with either very short or very long telomeres are at increased risk of developing cancer – this is called the Telomere Length Paradox. In this video we discuss how telomere length can impact cancer risk. Telomeres, the protective caps on the ends of our chromosomes, can act as a defense mechanism to prevent tumor […]

Video: How telomere shortening affects aging

The End Replication problem and how it affects aging

Telomeres, in particular telomere length, have been shown to play a role in aging. In this video we explore how and why telomere shortening affects the aging process. Telomeres are unique structures of proteins and DNA, found on the ends of our chromosomes. Each time cells replicate, the number of DNA repeats making up our […]

Telomeres and aging

Telomeres and aging blog

Telomere length is often considered a biological marker for aging and has been linked to cell lifespan, as well as certain diseases. Here we take a closer look at the relationship between telomeres and aging. What is a telomere? A telomere is a repetitive chain of DNA repeats found on the end of our chromosomes. […]

Why do telomeres shorten?

Why do telomeres shorten

Telomeres play an important role in protecting our chromosomes, but as we age, they decrease in length. In this blog we explore how and why telomeres shorten. Telomere structure Human telomeres are made up of thousands of repeats of the same DNA sequence (TTAGGG), bound by a special set of proteins called shelterin. They are […]