“This year's Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine is awarded to three scientists who have solved a major problem in biology: how the chromosomes can be copied in a complete way during cell divisions and how they are protected against degradation. The Nobel Laureates have shown that the solution is to be found in the ends of the chromosomes – the telomeres – and in an enzyme that forms them – telomerase”.

If the telomeres are shortened, cells age. Conversely, if telomerase activity is high, telomere length is maintained, and cellular senescence is delayed.

>>The original text of 2009 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine>>

>>Telomere History>>

Among biomarkers of cellular senescence telomere shortening is a rather elegant frequently used biomarker. Validity of telomere shortening as a marker for cellular senescence is based on theoretical and experimental data.

Telomere shortening is a major cause of aging

1991~2021, 3000+ articles published in top international authoritative journals study the relationship between telomeres and aging, and the research on telomeres and aging shows an overall increasing trend.

>>"Telomere & Aging/Senecence" Articles(1991~2021)>>

Telomere shortening is linked to more than 40 aging phenomena.

It is associated with an increased risk of aging-related degeneration, and accelerated aging.

Telomere & Sleep

Telomere length is a hallmark of cellular aging. The change of telomere length explains the reason of good or bad sleep quality. Telomere length is shorter and sleep quality is poorer.

"Conclusion: This study adds to the growing literature relating sleep duration with biomarkers of aging, and suggests that shortening of telomeres might reflect mechanisms through which short sleep contributes to pathological conditions in older men."

>>Short sleep duration is associated with shorter telomere length in healthy men: findings from the Whitehall II cohort study>>

"Conclusions: This study provides the first evidence that poor sleep quality explains significant variation in LTL, a marker of cellular aging."

>>Shorter Leukocyte Telomere Length in Midlife Women with Poor Sleep Quality>>

>>"Telomere & Sleep" Articles(2001~2021)>>

Telomere & Obesity

Shorter telomere lengths are associated with increased risk factors for obesity.

"Conclusion: Our study suggests that shorter TL may be a risk factor for increased adiposity."

>>Shorter telomeres are associated with obesity and weight gain in the elderly>>

"Conclusions: Our study shows that weight loss is associated to telomere lengthening in a positive correlation: the greater weight loss the greater telomere lengthening; moreover telomere lengthening is more significant in those subjects with shortest telomeres at baseline."

>>Telomere length elongation after weight loss intervention in obese adults>>

>>"Telomere & Obesity" Articles(1999~2021)>>

Telomere & Skin/Hair

The longer the telomeres, the lower the likelihood of facial aging.

"Longer genetically predicted telomeres were associated with a lower likelihood of facial aging. Our findings provided evidence to support a potential causal relationship between longer genetically predicted telomeres and less facial aging."

>>Association between genetically predicted telomere length and facial skin aging in the UK Biobank: a Mendelian randomization study>>

"Telomere length dynamics play an important but underinvestigated role in the biology of the hair follicle (HF), telomerase-deficient mice with short telomeres display an aging phenotype of hair graying and hair loss that is attributed to impaired HF ESC mobilization."

>>Telomere Dynamics and Telomerase in the Biology of Hair Follicles and their Stem Cells as a Model for Aging Research>>

>>"Telomere & Skin/Hair/etc." Articles(1981~2021)>>

Telomere & Arthritis/Osteoporosis

Telomere length affects bone health.

"Conclusions: Our meta-analysis demonstrated that the telomere length was significantly shorter in patients with RA, and was significantly more so in the SE-positive group than in the SE-negative group."

>>Association between shortened telomere length and rheumatoid arthritis>>

"We summarize the current evidence on the relationship between telomere length and bone health in experimental and epidemiological studies, which serve as a scientific reference for the development of novel diagnostic markers of osteoporosis or novel therapeutics targeting telomere and telomerase of bone cells to treat osteoporosis.

>>Can telomere length predict bone health? A review of current evidence>>

>>"Telomere & Arthritis/Osteoporosis" Articles(1996~2021)>>

Telomere & Mental System

Short telomere length is associated with an increased risk of mental disorders.

"Chronic mental illness includes various types of mental disorders with the most common being depression, schizophrenia and stress-anxiety. Most studies report reduced telomere length in patients suffering from mental disorders, compared to the general population."

>>Common mental disorders and association with telomere length>>

"Conclusions: We found that older adults with LLD have shorter telomere than healthy controls, especially those with a more severe depressive episode. Our findings suggest that shorter TL can be a marker of the severity of depressive episodes in older adults and indicate that these individuals may be at higher risk of age-associated adverse outcomes linked to depression."

>>Telomere shortening in late-life depression: A potential marker of depression severity>>

>>"Telomere & Mental System" Articles(2002~2021)>>

Telomere & Cardiovascular System

Shorter telomeres are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

>>"Telomere & Cardiovascular System" Articles(2000~2021)>>

Telomere & Endocrine System

Shorter telomeres in white blood cells are associated with an increased risk of diabetes complications.

>>"Telomere & Endocrine System" Articles(1989~2021)>>

Telomere & Nervous System

Telomere length may be an early marker of nervous system diseases such as Alzheimer's.

>>"Telomere & Nervous System" Articles(1998~2021)>>

Telomere & Reprodcutive Health

Telomere length and telomerase levels can be used as biomarkers of male fertility.

>>"Telomere & Reprodcutive Health" Articles(1998~2021)>>

Telomere & Others

>>"Telomere & Hematological System" Articles(2002~2021)>>

>>"Telomere & Respiratory System" Articles(1992~2021)>>

>>"Telomere & Immune System" Articles(1996~2021)>>

>>"Telomere & Digestive System" Articles(1996~2021)>>

>>"Telomere & Others" Articles(1998~2021)>>

The above information comes from searching NCBI(National Center for Biotechnology Information) Literature Database