Many aging-induced diseases also linked to mutations of the genes coding telomerase

The study of human diseases linked to mutations of the genes coding for telomerase led to the discovery of the limiting role of telomeres on longevity, and of the impact of telomerase on aging.

In a previous article (Telomeres, at the heart of the aging process) we mentioned that telomere length might help predict the occurrence of replicative senescence, which is when the life cycle of the cell comes to a stop. Telomere alteration is then linked to a decrease of cellular metabolism. The accumulation of such cells in an organism triggers the expression of age-linked phenotypes in the form of several diseases [1].