Diseases of the telomeres
Diseases of the telomeres can have serious consequences. In most cases, such subsequent effects are caused by damage to the DNA coding for proteins. Telomere disease is most often caused by a deficiency in the protein complexes (shelterins) that surround the telomeres, or in the enzyme telomerase.
This promotes a disturbance of the structure through reduced protection. Due to the relatively high number of chromosomes, it is also not possible to reliably assign a category of diseases to a disease of the telomeres. This means that many different organs can be affected.
The term telomeropathy is used for diseases caused by damaged telomeres. Telomeric disease is usually used as an equivalent term. Due to the irreversible cause of these diseases, all telomeropathies will have a chronic course.In telomeropathy, the telomeres are usually shortened due to a deficiency of the enzyme telomerase or the proteins that form the shelterine complex, to the extent that the subsequent DNA is attacked.
Sometimes DNA coding for proteins is affected, so that the damage becomes apparent in the body. Telomeropathies include a wide range of diseases that are not very specific to telomeropathies. This means that the symptoms are very diverse and often have other causes. Also, the severity of the disease varies greatly and the chronic course with the symptoms can be strong or weak. Among the more common telomeropathies are pneumonia, cirrhosis of the liver or even anemia and damage to the bone marrow.
What role do telomeres play in aging?
With advancing age, the human body’s need for new cells persists. Among other things, this is necessary to maintain the processes in the individual cells of the various organs. These new cells are created by cell division (mitosis) within the cell cycle.
During this process, a duplication of all cell organelles and the entire DNA takes place before division. This process is called replication. Specific enzymes exist for this in each cell.
However, the enzymes responsible cannot begin the duplication process at the end of each DNA strand for structural reasons. This results in a loss of base pairs with each cycle and the chromosomes are continuously shortened. To prevent this from leading to an early loss of important DNA sections, the telomeres are located at the ends.
They carry no genetically important information and can survive a loss of some bases without any problems. With old age, however, the telomeres fall below a certain length, which is dangerous and potentially associated with damage. This leads to either an irreversible cell cycle arrest, senescence, or a planned death of the cell. Thus, the body continuously loses its potential for renewal and ages. Our next article might also be interesting for you: Aging Process
