9/01/2008 PERMALINK
Powerful anti-aging therapies promised by enzyme discovery Researchers at The Wistar Institute have deciphered the structure of the active region of telomerase, an enzyme that plays a critical role in aging as well as the development of nearly all human cancers. The opens the door to the creation of new, effective anti-aging and anti-cancer therapies. Telomerase adds multiple repeats of a short DNA sequence to the ends of chromosomes, known as telomeres, thus preventing the loss of genetic information during cell division, which causes cell malfunction, aging and death. With the improved understanding of exactly how telomerase functions found in this research, it should be possible to develop therapies that rejuvenate and restore youthful function to aging cells or cause cancer cells to age and die off rapidly ... more