A study led by researchers at Harvard medical school has uncovered a possible new strategy for treating age-related diseases. The shortening of telomeres, one of the components necessary for chromosome replication, damages enzymes called sirtuins, which maintain cell health by influencing the body's metabolic processes and repairing damaged chromosomes. The researchers showed that using a small compound to restore the activity of sirtuins stabilized telomeres, reduced DNA damage and improved liver disease in mouse models. These studies suggest that maintaining telomere length may help cells and tissues regenerate and improve disease outcomes.
Telomeres are also linked to aging and disease；As the organism ages, the telomeres get shorter, and the cells stop dividing and dying. Telomere shortening during human aging is thought to be a potential cause of the decline of stem cells, which have the potential to develop into many different types of cells and help the body heal. Keeping telomeres stable can prevent or slow aging and disease. Telomere shortening can also lead to organ failure and tissue fibrosis, usually in the liver and lungs, because telomere damage prevents cells from dividing and affects cell function.
"Our genetic material is arranged linearly in the structure of chromosomes, the ends of which are specific segments called telomeres. Telomeres are like the plastic tips of a rope, ensuring that the rope doesn't wear out all the time. Elgon sahin, a professor at the University of California's center for molecular biology.
Interestingly, the researchers also found that sirtuins, in turn, affected telomeres. When sahin and his colleagues increased the activity of sirtuins by feeding them small molecules called nicotinamide single nucleotides, telomeres stabilized. However, this requires more data support. "We plan to continue to investigate the molecular mechanisms of telomere-sirtuin interactions to better understand the health and disease benefits and potential risks of telomere length manipulation," sahin said.