Joel Eissenberg, Ph.D., Professor of Biochemistry, recently published an article in the January/February 2013 issue of Missouri Medicine. The article, entitled “Telomeres, Cancer and Aging: Live Long and Prosper?” reviews research on telomeres, protective DNA sequences at the ends of chromosomes. Telomeres could play a role in aging and lifespan, since they protect chromosome ends from fraying and damage. They could also be a potential target for treating tumor cells, which have a much higher expression of telomerase, helping them to achieve immortality through telomere stability.
