Anti-ageing pill that delays the effects of growing old could be on the horizon
- Telomeres – protective bits of DNA – become shorter when cells divide
- Experts believe this is a cause of ageing and increases the risk of disease
- They found levels of the enzyme telomerase are elevated in cancer cells
- This allows them to divide indefinitely and speed up the ageing process
Stephen Matthews For Mailonline
70
View
comments
An anti-ageing pill that delays the onset of wrinkles and crow’s feet could be on the horizon, scientists believe.
Telomeres – protective bits of DNA on the end of chromosomes – become shorter every time a cell divides, new research found.
Experts say this causes people to age and increases their risk of disease as they grow older.
But a study found levels of the enzyme telomerase – which lengthens the protective tips – are higher in cancer cells.
This allows them to divide indefinitely – offering scientists hope of developing drugs that could target the mechanism to prevent ageing.
An anti-ageing pill that delays the onset of wrinkles and crows feet could be on the horizon, scientists believe
Experts also believe their findings could provide benefits in the bid to find a cure for cancer.
When telomeres become too short they send a signal to the cell to stop dividing permanently – impairing the ability of tissues to regenerate.
They play key roles in inflammation and contribute to many ageing-related diseases – including cancer.
Previous research has found oxidative stress – where damaging molecules known as free radicals build up inside cells – speeds up the process.
-
Do YOU suffer from stitches? Expert reveals why it happens…
Young people are being misled in their quest to get an Essex…
More than 130,000 cancer patients are waiting too long to…
Why processed food may cause bowel cancer: Common additives…
Free radicals can damage both the DNA that make up telomeres but also the building blocks used to extend them.
Researchers from Pittsburgh University tested to see if oxidative stress would render telomerase unable to do its job.
They then looked to see what would happen if the building blocks used to make up telomeres were instead subjected to the damage.
Their findings suggest telomere is shortened by free radicals damaging the building block molecules – not the enzyme itself.
Telomeres – protective bits of DNA on the end of chromosomes – become shorter every time a cell divides. This allows them to divide indefinitely and causes people to age – offering scientists hope of developing drugs that could target the mechanism
Lead researcher Professor Patricia Opresko, of Pittsburgh University, said: ‘The new information will be useful in designing new therapies to preserve telomeres in healthy cells and ultimately help combat the effects of inflammation and ageing.
‘On the flip side we hope to develop mechanisms to selectively deplete telomeres in cancer cells to stop them from dividing.
‘Much to our surprise telomerase could lengthen telomeres with oxidative damage. In fact the damage seems to promote telomere lengthening.’
Nell Barrie, Cancer Research UK’s senior science information manager, said: ‘Telomeres can act like a “clock” inside cells telling them when it’s the right time to self-destruct.
‘But this process can be disrupted in cancer and other diseases so understanding exactly what is happening inside cells will give researchers clues for how to correct mistakes and take advantage of cells’ strengths and weaknesses to help treat disease.
‘There’s still a lot we need to understand about how the telomeres “clock” works and research like this will help to shed light on its inner workings.’
The study is published in Nature Structural and Molecular Biology.
Share or comment on this article
-
e-mail
Most watched News videos
- Dramatic scenes as group of snakes pursue fleeing Iguana
- Funnel web spider all wrapped up after encounter with redback
- Paw-somely cute moment Belle the dog gives kisses to baby boy
- Horrific moment child gets crushed underneath falling door
- Man creates cosy home made entirely from shipping containers
- Moment furious van driver vents at group of motorcyclists
- Is this the creepy moment the corpse of a girl OPENS her eyes?
- Dramatic footage shows police car pursue fleeing drug dealer
- Horrifying moment white ‘landowner’ stuffs black man in coffin
- Police release footage of Craigslist murderer preparing home
- Snakes on a plane! Snake appears during Aeromexico flight
- Mother shaves daughters hair after she ‘bullies cancer girl’
-
‘You can’t review 650,000 new emails in eight days!’ Furious…
-
Are YOU part of the shrinking middle class? Here’s how much…
-
Mother-of-two, 34, vanishes while out jogging in broad…
-
Why these enormous snowballs in Siberia could mean America…
-
DNC staffers wrote questions for CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer…
-
A killer prepares his torture chamber: Chilling video shows…
-
Champion skier Bode Miller shares a VERY revealing…
-
It’s going to the wire: Clinton will campaign at MIDNIGHT as…
-
Chelsea Clinton ‘used Foundation resources for wedding’,…
-
Woman is taken into custody after ‘shoving’ another woman to…
-
NATO puts 300,000 troops on ‘high alert’ in readiness for a…
-
‘Yeah, nah… we won’t be doing that’: North Korea demands two…
Comments (70)
Share what you think
-
Newest -
Oldest -
Best rated -
Worst rated
The comments below have not been moderated.
The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.
Find out now