EurekAlert notes that UCLA researchers have demonstrated that telomerase – a telomere-extending protein – can be used to prevent the premature aging of the immune system. “Immune cells that fight HIV are under constant strain to divide … This massive amount of division shortens these cells’ telomeres prematurely. So the telomeres of a 40-year-old person infected with HIV resemble those of a healthy 90-year-old person.” This sort of premature aging is the result of a part of your body running at an accelerated rate – but with telomerase, “immune cells could divide endlessly. They grew at a normal rate and didn’t show any chromosomal abnormalities that might lead to cancer.” This research opens up possibilities far beyond the obvious benefits to HIV-infected people.
View the Article Under Discussion: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2004-11/uoc–usu110904.php
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