Telomere News and Research

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A telomere is a region of repetitive DNA at the end of a chromosome, which protects the end of the chromosome from deterioration.

Crystal Structure of i-Motif DNA Opens Doors for Targeted Drug Design

The first crystal structure of an alternative DNA shape from the insulin gene has been revealed by a UCL-led research team.

9 Sep 2024

Advancements in Grape Genomics Promise Enhanced Breeding Strategies

Grapes are economically and culturally significant worldwide, but climate change has posed substantial challenges to grape production in recent decades.

8 Aug 2024

Genomic Insights into Prunus Species Evolution and Traits

The Prunus genus, encompassing apricots, peaches, plums, and mei, is vital due to its economic and nutritional value.

22 Jul 2024

Small Molecule Restores TERT Levels to Combat Aging-Related Decline

Researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have demonstrated that therapeutically restoring 'youthful' levels of a specific subunit of the telomerase enzyme can significantly reduce the signs and symptoms of aging in preclinical models.

24 Jun 2024

Revolutionizing Telomere Research with High-Resolution Sequencing

Within each of our cells, long strands of DNA are folded into chromosomes and capped with protective structures called telomeres.

19 Jun 2024

Study Unveils Key Mechanism of Telomere Maintenance by CST–Polα/Primase

The length of telomeres that protect the ends of our chromosomes should be tightly regulated. Those that are too long predispose to cancer, and those that are too short lose their protective ability, resulting in telomere disorders with serious health consequences.

6 Jun 2024

Upgraded Nipponbare Genome Assembly Paves the Way for Enhanced Rice Research

A research team has achieved a groundbreaking improvement in the haplotype-resolved genome sequence of the japonica rice cultivar Nipponbare.

21 May 2024

New Insights Into PARP1 Biology Could Open Avenues to Improve Cancer Treatments

A new study led by University of Pittsburgh and UPMC Hillman Cancer Center researchers shows that an enzyme called PARP1 is involved in repair of telomeres, the lengths of DNA that protect the tips of chromosomes, and that impairing this process can lead to telomere shortening and genomic instability that can cause cancer.

8 May 2024

Different Chromosomes Found to Have Separate End-Specific Telomere-Length Distributions

We depend on our cells being able to divide and multiply, whether it's to replace sunburnt skin or replenish our blood supply and recover from injury.

12 Apr 2024

Unveiling the Diversity and Evolutionary Dynamics of Centromeres Across Primates

A genomic study of human and selected nonhuman primate centromeres has revealed their unimaginable diversity and speed of evolutionary change.

4 Apr 2024

Scientists Discover Dual Challenges in DNA Replication Process

Half a century ago, scientists Jim Watson and Alexey Olovnikov independently realized that there was a problem with how our DNA gets copied.

29 Feb 2024

Study Reveals Gut Microbiome's Influence on Premature Aging in Chronic HIV Patients

The Wistar Institute's associate professor Mohamed Abdel-Mohsen, Ph.D., has demonstrated, with his lab and collaborators, a connection between viral damage to the gut and premature biological aging.

22 Feb 2024

Telomerase's Double-Edged Sword: Preventing DNA Repair Mishaps

The natural ends of chromosomes appear alarmingly like broken DNA, much as a snapped spaghetti strand is difficult to distinguish from its intact counterparts.

16 Feb 2024

Tapping into the Genetic Reservoir of Wild Blueberries

Blueberries, belonging to the Vaccinium genus and characterized by their petite size, are renowned for their delectable flavor, harmonious blend of sweetness and acidity, and impressive nutritional profile. They are rich in a diverse array of vitamins and antioxidants.

23 Nov 2023

Epidemiology and Genetic Underpinnings of Clonal Hematopoiesis

A comprehensive new study from deCODE genetics, a subsidiary of Amgen, published today in Nature Genetics, provides insights into the epidemiology and somatic and germline genetics of clonal hematopoiesis.

7 Nov 2023

First Complete View of Y Chromosome's Code Sequenced

More than 100 experts from across the world, including those from Johns Hopkins University, have worked together to completely sequence the chromosome linked to male development, the final unsolved component of the human genome.

24 Aug 2023

Previously unknown telomere and cancer connection to the immune system revealed

Johns Hopkins Medicine scientists say their 20-year study of more than 200 people with premature aging syndromes caused by abnormally short telomeres, or shortened repetitive DNA sequences at the ends of chromosomes, may upend long-held scientific dogma and settle conflicting studies about how and whether short telomeres contribute to cancer risk.

31 Mar 2023

Brain scans link signs of cellular aging to symptoms of Alzheimer’s

According to a new study led by Anya Topiwala of Oxford Population Health, a division of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom, and published on March 22nd, 2023 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE, changes in the brain caused by Alzheimer’s disease are connected to telomeres shortening, the protective caps on the ends of chromosomes that shorten as cells age.

23 Mar 2023

New biomarker helps identify biological age

Once considered to be incompetent in encoding proteins due to their simple monotonous DNA repetitions, tiny telomeres at the tips of human chromosomes now appear to have a powerful biological function that could help better understand cancer and aging.

21 Feb 2023

NIH researchers release new tool to assemble complete genome sequences on-demand

National Institutes of Health researchers have developed and released an innovative software tool to assemble truly complete (i.e., gapless) genome sequences from a variety of species.

17 Feb 2023