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If a test showed you had telomere shortening, it would be a red flag suggesting you should take a look at possible risk factors.

- Elizabeth Blackburn
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Elizabeth Blackburn
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Telomeres are the protective caps at the ends of chromosomes in cells. Chromosomes carry the genetic information. Telomeres are buffers. They are like the tips of shoelaces. If you lose the tips, the ends start fraying.

In humans, the thing is that as we mature, our telomeres slowly wear down. So the question has always been: 'Did that matter?' Well, more and more, it seems like it matters.

In 2004, results from a study that I worked on with colleagues at the University of California, San Francisco, linked chronic stress to shortening of telomeres.

Basically, when you look at different types of cells, such as fibroblasts, which form connective tissue, or epithelial cells, from saliva, you see general correlations within a person. If telomeres are up for one cell type, they're up for others overall.

For me, arguably the story of telomeres and telomerase began thousands of years ago, in the cornfields of the Maya highlands of Central America.

Cancer cells have a lot of other things that are really wrong with them, and we should never forget that these are cells that have become deaf to all the signals that the body sends out, such as you can multiply a certain amount, you can be in a certain place in the body, where to stay, where to move, and so on.

When scientists get old, they get interested in the brain, and I'm a little bit afraid I'm falling into that.

Observational studies show that exercise, nutritional supplements and reducing psychological stress can help. Chronic high stress and smoking can lead to accelerated telomere shortening.

Challenges in medicine are moving from 'Treat the symptoms after the house is on fire' to 'Can we preserve the house intact?'

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If a test showed you had telomere shortening, it would be a red flag suggesting you should take a look at possible risk factors.

If a test showed you had telomere shortening, it would be a red flag suggesting you should take a look at possible risk factors.

If a test showed you had telomere shortening, it would be a red flag suggesting you should take a look at possible risk factors.

If a test showed you had telomere shortening, it would be a red flag suggesting you should take a look at possible risk factors.

If a test showed you had telomere shortening, it would be a red flag suggesting you should take a look at possible risk factors.

If a test showed you had telomere shortening, it would be a red flag suggesting you should take a look at possible risk factors.

If a test showed you had telomere shortening, it would be a red flag suggesting you should take a look at possible risk factors.

If a test showed you had telomere shortening, it would be a red flag suggesting you should take a look at possible risk factors.

If a test showed you had telomere shortening, it would be a red flag suggesting you should take a look at possible risk factors.

If a test showed you had telomere shortening, it would be a red flag suggesting you should take a look at possible risk factors.

If a test showed you had telomere shortening, it would be a red flag suggesting you should take a look at possible risk factors.

If a test showed you had telomere shortening, it would be a red flag suggesting you should take a look at possible risk factors.

If a test showed you had telomere shortening, it would be a red flag suggesting you should take a look at possible risk factors.

If a test showed you had telomere shortening, it would be a red flag suggesting you should take a look at possible risk factors.

If a test showed you had telomere shortening, it would be a red flag suggesting you should take a look at possible risk factors.