We and other groups are seeing clear statistical links between telomere shortness and risk for a variety of diseases that are becoming very common, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and certain cancers.
Elizabeth BlackburnRead
Cancer cells have had so many other things go wrong with them, genetic, non-genetic changes, that those cells, one of the things they then get selected for is that they have lots of telomerase because now the telomeres in those cells get maintained.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Cancer cells often acquire changes that allow them to survive longer, one factor being the presence of telomerase, which maintains their telomeres.
In this quote, Elizabeth Blackburn highlights the complexities of cancer cells and how they undergo various genetic and non-genetic changes that enable their survival and proliferation. One significant adaptation is the increased activity of telomerase, an enzyme that protects the ends of chromosomes (telomeres) from shortening, effectively allowing cancer cells to escape normal cellular aging and death, thus contributing to their malignancy.
Themes
CancerCellsTelomeraseTelomeresGenetic Changes
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about cancer research during a conference.
More from Elizabeth Blackburn
All quotes →Checking your telomere length is a bit like weighing yourself: you get this single number which depends on a lot of factors. Telomere length gives a sense of your underlying health.
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We think there are lifestyle factors that boost telomerase naturally.
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For me, arguably the story of telomeres and telomerase began thousands of years ago, in the cornfields of the Maya highlands of Central America.
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If we think of our chromosomes - they carry our genetic material - as being like shoelaces, I work on the plastic tips at the end that protect them.
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Being senior enough in the field, having enough solidity, I don't feel afraid of being marginalized.
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