Telomeres shorten as we age and the risk of cancer increases as we get older; here we explore some ways telomeres affect cancer risk. Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide and with rates of many cancers increasing year on year, it is a priority research area in terms of improving understanding, diagnosis and […]
To help raise awareness of rare disease dyskeratosis congenita, Julian’s mom Mayra has kindly shared his journey through 4 stem cell transplants this Rare Disease Day. At the age of 3, our son was diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder called, dyskeratosis congenita. We were really fortunate our search led us to the Jimmy Fund […]
In this blog we examine what short telomeres are and what short telomere syndromes can mean for certain individuals. What are telomeres for? Our chromosomes need to be protected to prevent damage, or them fusing with other chromosomes. Telomeres are the protective structures found on the end of chromosomes. They are made up of thousands […]
This Telomere Biology Disorder Awareness Month (TBD Month) we have a guest blog from Colleen, Team Telomere President & Chair of Legacy. Colleen is kindly sharing her families’ story from unexpected diagnosis, to health care journeys, to the strength she has found in the Team Telomere community. If you would’ve told me 15 years ago […]
RepeatDx was established in British Columbia, Canada in May 2005. Fifteen years on, as we celebrate our anniversary, we wanted to take a moment to share some quick telomere testing facts. RepeatDx telomere testing facts Dr Peter Lansdorp developed the Flow FISH telomere testing protocol RepeatDx was established as a spin-off from his lab at […]
There are multiple different terms for telomere biology disorders, here we explain what they are and what conditions they can encompass. Telomere biology disorders Telomere biology disorders (TBDs) are a complex set of conditions defined by genetic deficits affecting telomere maintenance and by the presence of very short telomeres. These disorders can also be referred […]
March 4 is Aplastic Anemia Awareness Day, and to mark the occasion we want to shed some light on this condition and how it can be related to telomeres. What is aplastic anemia? Aplastic anemia is a rare, and potentially serious blood disorder, that occurs when the bone marrow fails to produce enough healthy blood […]
As a relatively new and constantly advancing science, telomere biology is not yet fully understood. This is an exciting time for research in the field, with many opportunities for new discoveries. Although, in the meantime, with the lack of knowledge comes the risk of misunderstandings and telomere testing myths. Myth #1. Telomere length measurements can […]
Navigating insurance coverage for healthcare costs can be difficult, especially when dealing with less common conditions and tests. We’ve compiled some tips and resources to help when it comes to ordering telomere length testing. For physicians supporting patients through diagnosis, it can be a complicated and lengthy process, especially in the case of rare […]
Geraldine, Director of Clinical Research and Development, shares her perspective on scientific and medical research into telomere biology, that could be useful for those in the Telomere Biology Disorder (TBD) community. For this article, I chose to write a little bit about the different categories or ‘flavors’ of scientific and medical research that are relevant […]