The telomere: Is there a “secret to youth” in them?

People easily get drawn to the phrase ‘The Secret of Eternal Youth.’ Food supplement and vitamin manufacturers offer rejuvenation, blogs promote diets, and journalists report on the latest scientific discoveries.

This article will examine a popular anti-aging technique that claims to stop time by manipulating telomere length. We will also explore whether elongating telomeres can impact life expectancy.”

What are Telomeres?

The X-shaped structures in the nucleus of a cell called chromosomes house DNA.

Telomeres are the end caps of chromosomes and consist of repeating sequences of nitrogenous bases, TTAGGG in humans, which repeat about 3000 times.

Their primary function is to prevent chromosome ends from fusing and breaking. Think of chromosomes as shoelaces and telomeres as their protective aglets, preventing unraveling. If telomeres fail, chromosomes start sticking together, which can result in gene transfer, mutations, and even cancer.

Telomeres also ensure chromosomes’ survival during cell division. Each time a chromosome divides, it creates a copy while shortening the original chromosome by 25-200 bases.

Cell division is vital for maintaining a healthy body and renewing tissues, but as we age, our telomeres shorten. When they become too short, chromosomes can no longer make a copy of themselves, starting the process of cell destruction. Scientists view telomeres as clocks measuring the lifespan of each cell.

How Does Telomere Length Get Affected?

Every cell division doesn’t shorten the telomeres equally. Our body loses about 20 base pairs in our DNA due to its inability to synthesize a new copy from scratch, so pieces of telomeres get used. The remaining 50-100 base pairs get lost to oxidative stress.

Oxidative stress occurs when highly reactive substances such as free radicals attack cells, and this rise in response to unfavorable factors like smoking, an unhealthy diet, alcohol, or psychological stress.

Besides shortening, telomeres can also lengthen. The telomerase enzyme adds nitrogenous bases to the end of telomeres, which causes their length to either increase or remain constant.

In 2009, researchers who discovered the role of the telomerase enzyme received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Telomerase is synthesized in stem, germ, and some other types of body cells that constantly divide, but it’s rare for normal body cells to have such an “eternal life” tool.

Recent studies have also shown that telomere length can play a role in various cellular processes and diseases.”

The Connection between Telomere Length and Cellular Aging

Studies have linked short telomeres to rapid cellular aging and have recognized the gradual shortening of telomeres as a part of the cellular aging process.

The length of a person’s telomeres represents their biological age, not their chronological age, and each person’s biological age displays unique aging characteristics.

Biological and chronological age can diverge in everyday life, for instance when people with the same birthdate appear and feel differently.

The Role of Telomerase in Cancer Cells

Cancer cells contain the “enzyme of immortality” – telomerase – which allows them to divide continuously, uncontrollably, and unabated, leading to the growth of malignant tumors.

If scientists could turn off telomerase activity in cancer cells, they could treat the disease. However, drugs that slow down telomerase activity also affect other types of cells, such as spermatozoa, eggs, platelets, and immune cells.

Despite this challenge, scientists remain hopeful about drugs targeting telomerase. Most normal cells in the body have negligible telomerase activity, which means they will not be impacted by the therapy and the side effects may be milder compared to traditional cancer treatments.

Increasing Telomere Length: Through Telomerase Enzyme or Lifestyle Changes

To increase telomere length, individuals have two options available to them: either by boosting the activity of the telomerase enzyme or by adopting a healthier lifestyle. While “magic” drugs that could restore telomeres through telomerase have yet to be developed, scientists continue to study this area of research. In some experiments, researchers have been able to increase telomere length by 10% using a preparation based on modified ribonucleic acid (RNA) that encodes an important active component of telomerase.

It’s crucial to remember that these experiments were performed on individual cells in a laboratory setting. Currently, scientists believe that these breakthroughs could help with producing more biological materials for medical experiments, but not in extending a person’s life. Despite this, the potential for telomerase-based drugs remains a promising area of study in the field of aging and cellular biology.

Additionally, research has shown that a healthy lifestyle can also have a positive impact on telomere length. Studies have indicated that individuals who maintain a diet high in fiber and complex carbohydrates (such as a Mediterranean diet) and engage in moderate physical activity (such as light walking for 30 minutes six days a week) can experience an increase in telomere length. These findings further emphasize the importance of leading a healthy and balanced lifestyle in maintaining and promoting cellular health.

Adopting a healthy lifestyle can positively impact telomere length, according to studies. This can be achieved through a fiber-rich and complex carbohydrate diet, moderate physical activity for 30 minutes for six days a week, and stress-reducing exercises such as meditation, breathing practices, and yoga. Research shows that this type of lifestyle can lengthen telomeres by about 10%.

Telomeres play a role in extending life, but it only accounts for a small portion of the difference in mortality risk. After the age of 60, a person’s risk of death doubles every 8 years. However, telomere length only contributes to 4% of this difference, with the rest being influenced by factors such as chronological age, gender, oxidative stress, and glycation.

Glycation occurs when carbohydrates bind to proteins, hindering their function, leading to the disruption of the body’s tissues and diseases as a person ages. Telomere length is not the sole determinant of longevity, but it can extend lifespan by a few years. The best way to achieve this is through a shift towards a healthier lifestyle, which includes proper nutrition, quitting smoking and drinking, and regular physical activity.