Accurately measuring telomere length is important for the diagnosis of telomere biology disorders, for research into how telomeres affect health span and aging, and their links to cancer. In this video we discuss a number of techniques to measure telomere length. Telomeres — the protective caps on the ends of our chromosomes — hold important […]
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 […]
Telomere Biology Disorders (TBDs) are also known as Short Telomere Syndromes or telomeropathies. This video explores what causes TBDs and how they can impact people’s health. Telomere Biology Disorders (TBDs) are characterized by genetic deficits affecting telomere maintenance and by the presence of very short telomeres. Symptoms of TBDs can range significantly from person-to-person. In […]
The key to keeping our cells healthy may be down to the enzyme telomerase. In this video we cover how telomerase helps maintain telomere length in our cells, and how this influences how our bodies age, and why we develop diseases like cancer. Over time, with each cell division, telomeres shorten. When telomeres are too […]
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 […]
What are telomeres? Telomeres are protective caps, found at the ends of our chromosomes. This is the first in a short series of videos where we explore telomeres, telomere length and telomerase, as well as the impact they have on our health and aging. Telomeres are thought to play a major role in aging by […]