3 ms·
It's not so simple. Long and short telomeres can lead to cancer. Short telomeres or their loss can lead to genome rearrangements and other chromosomal problems
by inciampati 3y ago
It's not so simple. Long and short telomeres can lead to cancer.
Short telomeres or their loss can lead to genome rearrangements and other chromosomal problems. This can set the stage for oncogenesis.
Long telomeres can allow cells to continue to divide many times. This also can lead to an accumulation of oncogenic drivers. https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2300503 https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2300503
As with many things in biology, maintaining balance is important. Many factors are at play. The message that longer telomeres are better is beguiling, but nature would not make such a simple mistake.
- BillAndrews 3y agoEverytime cells divide they have an increased risk of becoming cancer cells. But not allowing cells to divide is certain death.
- BillAndrews 3y agoYes, nature intentionally made telomeres shorten in several animals including humans. Genetic variety results in an increased chance of a species surviving rapidly changing environments. Eliminating the longer lived increases the genetic variety within a species by favoring breeding among the shorter lived. Telomere shortening results in the elimination of the longer lived.