Telomeres and the effects of lengthening

1. Amanda Schorr
(Taiga)

2.  Sequence of repeating nucleotides
 “TTAGGG”
 3’ ends of DNA
Protection during replication
 Shorten over time
 Created by telomerase reverse
transcriptase (TERT)
http://www.rechargebiomedical.com/blog/aging/telomeres-and-telomerase/

3.  Telomerase is capable of:
 Extending lifespan of a cell
 Slowing the process of aging
 Extending the Hayflick limit
http://www.nature.com/nrm/journal/v1/n1/fig_ta
b/nrm1000_072a_F1.html
 Hayflick limit: the number of times
a normal human cell population will
divide until cell division stops

4. Telomere
shortening has
been linked to
aging process.
 Sign of aging
 Contribute to aging
Telomeres alone
do not determine
lifespan and aging.
http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/chromosomes/telomeres/

5.  Cancerous cells produce more telomerase to
prevent cell death.
 Telomerase could be used as an additional
diagnostic marker for cancer.
 Inhibiting telomerase in cancer cells can lead
to tumor cell death, but there are risks.

6.  Dyskeratosis Congenita
 premature aging
 Blood cancers
 Intestinal disorders
 Cirrhosis of the liver
 pulmonary fibrosis
 Gray hair
 Balding
 Progeria

7.  Smoking
 Obesity
 Sedentary life style
 Excessive sodium intake
 Linked to heart disease
 Type-2 diabetes
 dementia
 Stress
 Inflammation
 Time

8. •Discovered in 2009(Blackburn and Greider)
• longer the Telomeres longer life
•Stumbled upon during experiment with
statin to lower cholesterol in Italy(2013)

9.  Mice engineered to lack enzyme telomerase
 Barely fertile, suffer from osteoporosis, diabetes,
and neurodegeneration
 Inactive telomerase switched back on
feeding mice 4-OHT
 Mice grew to adulthood without it and then the
enzyme was reawakened
 Dramatic reversal.
 Shriveled testes grew back, regained fertility,
spleen, liver, and intestines recuperated, and
revered aging on brain
 -published in “Nature”, study done in 2010

10.  Since we know for almost certainty that telomerase is the
enzyme that lengths telomeres why not make a drug, stop
time now?...We have (Not technically a drug, it’s
considered a supplement.)
 Made from astragalus plant

11. • Maintaining
functionality
• Protection
• Permits the cell
to keep
multiplying
• Creating more
telomerase
prevents dealth

12. • Telomerase-combined with various mutations
that promote cell growth and inhibit cell death
allows the cancer cells to become “immortal”

13. • Bladder
• Bone
• Prostate
• Lung
• Kidney
• Head
• Neck

14. • Telomerase has been detected to be 20
times more active in cancer cells than in a
normal body cell
• A technique to measure telomerase TRAP

15. • Scientist believe blocking telomerase can
be useful
• Inhibiting telomerase would cause the
telomerase to actually shorten
• Forcing telomerase to make mutant
telomeric DNA in cancer cells
 http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/chr
omosomes/telomeres/

18. • Optimum nutrition
• Weight control
• Stress reduction
• Withdrawal of substances of abuse
– Simple sugar
– Alcohol
– Drugs
• Restoration of normal sleep patterns

20. • Pursuit of a balanced protein intake with
rotation among meat, dairy, vegetables and
fish proteins
– Increase intake of omega 3 fatty acids in active
forms e.g. cold-water fish, salmon
• Decrease intake of saturated fat,
hydrogenated oils, and trans-fatty acids
• Diet that is high in antioxidants
– Decrease in mean telomere length can be the
result of severe oxidative damage to telomeres.

22.  Study done at the University of Utah Department
of Human Genetics done on 143 individuals over
the age of 60 years of age
 Results showed that those individuals with shorter
telomere had a higher mortality rate than individuals
with longer telomere
 Milwaukee Center for Longevity Medicine
 They test clients telomere in cells by a blood test to
determine biological age and make recommendations
for clients:
 Hormone replacement therapy
 Medical supplementation
 Personalized nutrition
 Exercise programs

23.  Should telomere science advance to such a
degree, the effect on human life could be
far-reaching:
 People may be able to know how long they will
live until their natural death;
 People may be able to know their risk for cancer
and other diseases;
 Insurance companies may require telomere
testing before providing life, health or disability
coverage;
 Employers may require telomere testing results
before hiring

24.  "Now that I know I'm going to die in 9
years..."
 "Do I tell my wife? Do I tell my kids? Do I tell my
employer?"
 "Do I quit my job and start tackling my bucket
list?"
 "Do I spend all my money over the next 9 years?"
 "Do I start exercising and eating right and try to
turn this thing around?"
Would you get tested?

25.  http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959437X02000114
 http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/chromosomes/telomeres/
 http://www4.utsouthwestern.edu/cellbio/shay-wright/intro/facts/sw_facts.html
 http://mcr.aacrjournals.org/content/3/9/477.full#sec-2
 https://holisticprimarycare.net/topics/topics-a-g/functional-medicine/1038-
telomeres-aging-a-disease-prevention-do-telomere-targeted-treatments-have-a-role-
in-clinical-practice
 http://www.telomeretesting.net/#site-name
 http://files.allhoff.org/research/Telomeres_and_the_Ethics_of_Human_Cloning.pdf
 http://www.ucsf.edu/news/2011/02/9353/aging-telomeres-linked-chronic-disease-and-
health

http://www.ta-65direct.com/
 https://www.google.com/search?q=telomerase&rlz=1C1SFXN_enUS499US580&es_sm
=93&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=dlZLU-VfwpXKAd-vgdgB&
ved=0CAgQ_AUoAQ&biw=1600&bih=799#q=telomeres+shortening&tbm=isch&f
acrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=_IwQ8-
d37BDmGM%253A%3ByIhG8ThasN0H_M%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.nia.nih.gov%25
2Fsites%252Fdefault%252Ffiles%252F6_telomere_2.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fww
w.nia.nih.gov%252Fhealth%252Fpublication%252Fgenetics-aging-our-genes%
252Fwhat-happens-when-dna-becomes-damaged%3B400%3B171

26.  https://www.google.com/search?q=anti+aging+telomere+cream&rlz=1C1S
FXN_enUS499US580&es_sm=93&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=bnhLU42
mGYThyQHanoHgCg&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAg&biw=1600&bih=756#facrc=_&img
dii=_&imgrc=Utvx0NIaZloWSM%253A%3B12fqJ7XqkiAbiM%3Bhttp%253A%252
F%252Fwww.skinpro.com%252Fdelfogo_assets%252Fimages%252Fdelfogo-rx-
high-res%252Fdrx-telomere-dna-
9186.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.goodlifeconnoisseur.com%252Ftre
nding-fall-2013%252F%3B5783%3B3883
 http://www.nature.com/news/2010/101128/full/news.2010.635.html
 http://www.foodnavigator.com/Science-Nutrition/High-salt-intake-linked-
to-premature-cellular-aging
 http://www.courier-journal.
com/story/life/wellness/2014/04/03/booming-live-longer-lengthen-
telomeres/7257307/