Telomeres are short DNA segments located at the end of all chromosomes. They are synthesized by an enzyme called telomerase [1]. Telomeres have become a subject of interest in the fight against aging since a correlation was found between telomere shortening and biological aging. This shortening happens during cell division, but many other factors can accelerate the process (gender, stress, smoking, drinking, obesity…)

Telomeres seem to be at the heart of the fight against aging, given the close bond between the two. Telomere length then becomes an interesting lead to elaborate therapies and solutions to fight against aging.

We can speak of Elizabeth Parrish, CEO of BioViva, a biotech company in the US. She tested on herself two gene therapies developed by her own lab, one of which aims to lengthen her telomeres for “rejuvenation” purposes [2]. Although she observed having longer telomeres and declares that her cells are now “twenty years younger”, she faces skepticism from the scientific community, since no science article or pre-clinical study were realized on the therapy before she tried it.