What is the Origin of Telomere Elongation?

This concept is a cornerstone of geroscience, originating from the discovery of telomeres and telomerase, which earned a Nobel Prize. The link between telomere length and biological age—where shorter telomeres correlate with increased disease risk and shorter lifespan—drove the pursuit of methods to promote their elongation. It provides a measurable, molecular target for anti-aging interventions.

What is the Mechanism of Telomere Elongation?

The primary mechanism involves the activation of the ribonucleoprotein enzyme telomerase, which carries its own RNA template to synthesize new telomeric DNA. While telomerase is highly active in germ cells and cancer cells, it is largely repressed in most somatic tissues. Targeted nutritional, lifestyle, and pharmacological agents are explored for their ability to safely upregulate telomerase activity in healthy cells, thus preserving genomic stability and extending cellular lifespan.

Telomere Elongation

Meaning

Telomere Elongation is the process of adding repetitive DNA sequences, called telomeres, to the ends of chromosomes, a biological mechanism associated with cellular rejuvenation and extended replicative capacity. Telomeres naturally shorten with each cell division, acting as a cellular clock for aging; elongation is a therapeutic goal in longevity medicine to counteract this shortening. This process is catalyzed by the enzyme telomerase and is a direct intervention in the biological aging process.