Telomere Length:

Is there a correlation with aging?

Introduction
Telomeres are repeating DNA nucleotide base pairs located at the end of our DNA
chemically they are identical to our DNA but serve no hereditary purpose (Vaziri,
Dragowska, & Thomas, 1994). It is thought that they are put at the ends of our DNA to
protect the precious hereditary material (DNA) which is essential for certain cellular
processes to take place Jesus, B. (2012). Scientists also think that they play a role in
ensuring the structured packing and unpacking of DNA which is essential in giving the cell
the ability to express certain genes at certain times (Benetos et al., 2001).

Discussion
Overtime Natural degredation occurs and these shields are depleted. Thus it is
hypothesised that ones telomere length corresponds to that individuals biological age
(Beirne et al., 2014). (Please refer to the picture below for a visual representation).
There is however an enzyme called Telomerase which most living organisms naturally
produce to repair Telomeric length despite this only a limited amount is produced in
certain cells and overtime Telomere length still shortens (Jesus, B. 2012). Mice that were
artificially made to produce excess Telomerase in later age showed lengthened
Telomeres and reversed signs of aging and lived up to 24% longer than their
counterparts who did not have the treatment (Jesus, B. 2012).

Statistical Data /
Inference
In contrast When mice were given a treatment called Terc
to artificially limit telomerase production to varying
degrees, the mice who had this treatment showed
increased signs of aging earlier in life in comparison to
their telomerase proficient counterparts, they also had
decreased Telomeric lengths (Donate & Blasco, 2011). In
the graph below G1,G2 and G3 all denote groups of mice
which had their production of telomerase limited to certain
This data would
suggest
thatthe
there
is alimited
strongand
correlation
between
degrees
G3 being
most
G1 being
the least
ones Telomere
length
their biological
age.
ensure
eachthis.
limited,
theand
Longevity
of the mice
inTo
the
graphthat
reflects
mice had the
Telomeric
length
without anyproficient
kind of artificial
G0 same
(the black
line) is
the telomerase
mice which
treatment lives
the mice
selected
were genetically
similar, this heavily
the longest
(Donate
& Blasco, 2011).
reduces the amount of variation and uncertainty within the
experiment. The sample size of mice was large (400 mice) which also
reduces uncertainty that smaller sample sizes tend to have.

Telomerase deficient mouse model

The Outcome
& Conclusion

(Donate & Blasco,

2011)

It would be ideal if we had access to a larger range of data that specified how mice deal with an influx
of Telomerase. Also the graph above only depicts the results of one species perhaps this data is only
relevant to mice ideally I would like to see data reflecting the same pattern in other species.

Conclusion
References
Beirne, C., Delahay, R., & Young, A. (2014). Age-Related Declines and DiseaseAssociated Variation in Immune Cell Telomere Length in a Wild Mammal. PLoS
ONE, 9(9), 1-7
Jesus, B. (2012). Telomerase gene therapy in adult and old mice delays aging
and increases longevity without increasing cancer. EMBO molecular medicine,
4(8), 691-704.
Vaziri, H., Dragowska, W. H., & Thomas, T. E. (1994). Evidence for a mitotic clock
in human hematopoietic stem cells: loss of telomeric DNA with age. Proceedings
of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 91(21),
9857 -9860.
Benetos, A., Okuda, K., & Lajemi, M. (2001). Telomere length as an indicator of
biological aging the gender effect and relation with pulse pressure and pulse
wave velocity. Hypertension Benetos, 37(2), 381-385.

Regardless of the absent data it is evident that Telomeric length directly corresponds to ones Biological
age. This assumption is based on the fact that Telomerase is an enzyme that is proven to lengthen
Telomeres and as the data shows when Telomeres are in its presence the organism in question lives
longer. The question Id like to ask is What would happen if we were to artificially increase Telomeric
length in other species such as humans? The Key to immortality I suppose?

Sam Cuthbert ID