Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Search research articles

Related Experiment Videos

Telomere control of replicative lifespan

G B Morin¹

¹Geron Corporation, Menlo Park, California 94025, USA.

Experimental Gerontology

|July 1, 1997

Summary

Cellular aging is linked to telomere length, the protective caps on chromosomes. Lack of telomerase activity in most cells causes telomere shortening, limiting cell replication and potentially contributing to aging and cancer.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Author Correction: Proteomic profiling identifies muscle-invasive bladder cancers with distinct biology and responses to platinum-based chemotherapy.

Nature communications·2025

Same author

Proteomic profiling identifies muscle-invasive bladder cancers with distinct biology and responses to platinum-based chemotherapy.

Nature communications·2025

Same author

Cancer-associated somatic DICER1 hotspot mutations cause defective miRNA processing and reverse-strand expression bias to predominantly mature 3p strands through loss of 5p strand cleavage.

The Journal of pathology·2012

Same author

Novel mRNA isoforms and mutations of uridine monophosphate synthetase and 5-fluorouracil resistance in colorectal cancer.

The pharmacogenomics journal·2012

Same author

A tripartite complex composed of ETV6-NTRK3, IRS1 and IGF1R is required for ETV6-NTRK3-mediated membrane localization and transformation.

Oncogene·2011

Same author

TANK2, a new TRF1-associated poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, causes rapid induction of cell death upon overexpression.

The Journal of biological chemistry·2001

Area of Science:

Cell Biology
Genetics
Molecular Biology

Background:

Cellular replicative capacity influences organismal lifespan.
Normal human cells have a finite lifespan in culture, dependent on donor age.
The genetic mechanisms controlling cellular aging have remained unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

To explore the telomere hypothesis of cell aging.
To review evidence linking telomere length and telomerase activity to cell replication and aging.
To discuss the role of telomere biology in cancer development.

Main Methods:

Review of existing scientific literature on telomere biology, cell aging, and cancer.
Analysis of data correlating telomere length, telomerase activity, and cellular replicative capacity.
Examination of the expression patterns of telomere maintenance components in different cell types.

Main Results:

The telomere hypothesis suggests telomere length acts as a 'mitotic clock,' signaling cell cycle arrest at critical lengths.
Telomere DNA erosion in somatic cells is attributed to the absence of telomere maintenance system components.
Telomerase, crucial for telomere replication, is active in germ cells but typically absent in somatic cells.

Conclusions:

Telomere length and telomerase activity are strongly correlated with cellular replicative capacity and potential immortalization.
Telomere biology plays a significant role in regulating cellular lifespan and is implicated in tumorigenesis.

Related Experiment Videos