telomeres

11 Stories

Scientists Say They've Just Reversed Aging in Human Cells

Skeptics call the therapy 'snake oil'

(Newser) - To err is human—our own cells do it all the time. But new research suggests that when it comes to aging, there may be a workaround. Scientists report in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology that they triggered cells to produce the protein telomerase, which lengthens the...

How Tough Childhoods May Lead to Premature Aging
How Tough Childhoods
May Lead to Premature Aging
study says
Oct 4, 2016 8:10 AM CDT

How Tough Childhoods May Lead to Premature Aging

Kids may appear to bounce back from life stressors, but their bodies tell a different story

(Newser) - Children appear to be highly susceptible to the stress of trauma on a biological level, according to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences . US and Canadian researchers led by Eli Puterman of the University of British Columbia have been studying the length of telomeres,...

Mediterranean Diet Could Add Years to Your Life
Mediterranean Diet Could
Add Years to Your Life
study says
Dec 3, 2014 9:32 AM CST

Mediterranean Diet Could Add Years to Your Life

Study finds the diet is good for your DNA

(Newser) - A new study finds that following the Mediterranean diet could add about 4.5 years to your life. Researchers found that the diet, which focuses on fruits, veggies, whole grains, and olive oil, is good for our DNA, the New York Times reports. Nearly 4,700 women were followed for...

Soda Ages Our Cells as Much as Smoking
 Soda Ages Our Cells 
 as Much as Smoking 
in case you missed it
Oct 25, 2014 10:51 AM CDT

Soda Ages Our Cells as Much as Smoking

Study: 20 ounces a day associated with 4.6 years of aging

(Newser) - Drink a 20-ounce soda daily, and you may be causing your cells to age as much as they would if you smoked, a study suggests. Researchers investigated DNA from 5,309 adults, focusing on telomeres, the caps on the ends of our cells' chromosomes, Time reports. They found that drinking...

Why Victims of Racism May Age Faster
 Why Victims 
 of Racism May 
 Age Faster 
NEW STUDY
Jan 12, 2014 8:19 AM CST

Why Victims of Racism May Age Faster

Researchers raise concerns about internalized bias

(Newser) - Racism may take a clear physical toll on victims, causing their cells to age faster, scientists have found. Researchers conducted a study on blood samples from 92 black men in the Bay Area, investigating their DNA. Specifically, the Pacific Standard reports, they looked at the length of chunks of genetic...

Depression Might Take Years Off Your Life

Study finds that cells age faster in those with the condition

(Newser) - Depression isn't just making life miserable for those afflicted, it's actually making life shorter, a new study suggests. Dutch researchers found that people with depression seem to be aging faster, with the upshot being that they lose four to six years, reports CBS News . They reached the conclusion...

Violence Can Prematurely Age Children
 Violence Can 
 Prematurely Age 
 Children 
study says
Apr 24, 2012 1:35 PM CDT

Violence Can Prematurely Age Children

It shortens telomeres, new study finds

(Newser) - It goes without saying that violence has a negative impact on children—but a new study suggests that it can actually age their DNA by as much as seven to 10 years. Researchers examined children's telomeres—DNA sequences found at the ends of chromosomes that keep the chromosomes from...

How Long Will You Live? $700 Blood Test Has Answer
How Long Will You Live?
$700 Blood Test Has Answer
in case you missed it
May 22, 2011 8:23 AM CDT

How Long Will You Live? $700 Blood Test Has Answer

Telomeres test will soon be offered over the counter in Europe

(Newser) - Want to know when you're going to die? A blood test soon to be offered over the counter in Europe can give you a good estimate. The Life Length test, which will cost around $700, measures the length of a person's telomeres, structures on the tips of chromosomes...

Mutant Genes Linked to Long Life

DNA-protecting enzyme may be key to living to 100

(Newser) - Scientists have spotted a link among people who live to age 100: high levels of telomerase, an enzyme that protects DNA and could possibly be simulated in life-lengthening drugs. The enzyme repairs telomeres, end sections of DNA that have been likened to plastic tips that prevent shoelaces from unraveling. In...

Pesky Beetle Could Hold Cancer Key
Pesky Beetle Could Hold Cancer Key
Sep 1, 2008 1:03 PM CDT

Pesky Beetle Could Hold Cancer Key

Scientists crack code of enzyme that helps cells multiply limitlessly

(Newser) - An insect that’s a scourge in Southern kitchens could help scientists develop drugs to treat human cancer, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. In studying  the red flour beetle, scientists were able to decode an enzyme called telomerase, which triggers a cell's ability to multiply timelessly, playing an active role in...

Exercise Slows Aging Process
Exercise Slows Aging Process
Jan 29, 2008 9:54 AM CST

Exercise Slows Aging Process

Fit people are 10 years younger, study says

(Newser) - People who exercise don't just feel younger, they clinically are younger—by up to 10 years, according to a new study. And while exercise slows the aging process, a sedentary lifestyle accelerates it, reports the Daily Telegraph. The findings are "a message that could be used by clinicians to...

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