Telomeres And Telomerase
Imagine the ends of your shoelaces, which have plastic tips to prevent them from fraying. Our chromosomes, which carry our genetic information, have similar protective caps called telomeres. These telomeres are made of repeating DNA sequences and are essential for keeping our genetic material safe during cell division. However, with each division, these protective caps naturally get a little shorter. This shortening acts like a cellular clock, eventually signaling cells to stop dividing, a process linked to aging. But there’s an enzyme, a special protein, called telomerase, that can rebuild these caps. It works by adding back the repetitive DNA sequences, essentially resetting the cellular clock. While most normal body cells have very little or no telomerase activity, allowing telomeres to shorten and contributing to the aging process, many cancer cells reactivate this enzyme. This reactivation allows cancer cells to maintain their telomeres, enabling them to divide endlessly and grow uncontrollably. Understanding how these protective caps and their maintenance enzyme work is vital for insights into both the aging process and the development of new strategies to fight diseases like cancer.
Source: link to paper