Abstract
Telomeres are at the non-coding ends of linear chromosomes. Through a complex 3-dimensional structure, they protect the coding DNA and ensure appropriate separation of chromosomes. Aging is characterized by a progressive shortening of telomeres, which compromises their structure and function. Because of their protective function for genomic DNA, telomeres appear to play an important role in the development and progression of many age-related diseases, such as cardiovascular disease (CVD), malignancies, dementia, and osteoporosis. Despite substantial evidence that links telomere length with these conditions, the nature of these observations remains insufficiently understood. Therefore, future studies should address the question of causality. Furthermore, analytical methods should be further improved with the aim to provide informative and comparable results. This review summarize the actual knowledge of telomere biology and the possible implications of telomere dysfunction for the development and progression of age-related diseases. Furthermore, we provide an overview of analytical techniques for the measurement of telomere length and telomerase activity.
Highlights
Telomeres, the ends of linear chromosomes, have already been studied for over half a century, and today we possess detailed knowledge of the structural organization and physiology [1]
This review summarize the actual knowledge of telomere biology and the possible implications of telomere dysfunction for the development and progression of age-related diseases
An interesting study by Benetos et al showed that the association of short telomere length and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is based on a higher telomere attrition rate in early life [88]
Summary
The ends of linear chromosomes, have already been studied for over half a century, and today we possess detailed knowledge of the structural organization and physiology [1]. One key feature of telomeres is that they shorten with advancing age, which compromises their structure and function. Numerous studies have reported associations between telomere length and a broad range of age-related diseases including cardiovascular disease, malignancies, dementia, osteoporosis, and others [2]. A particular area of interest in this context is cancer, where genomic stability, cell differentiation, and proliferation is often compromised. Because of their protective function for genomic DNA, telomeres appear to play an important role in the development and progression of malignancies. This review summarize the actual knowledge of telomere biology and the possible implications of telomere dysfunction for the development and progression of age-related diseases
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