Answer to Question #307263 in Biochemistry for boo

Question

For centuries, people have searched for the fabled Fountain of Youth, said to confer the ability to

forestall old age and remain young forever. To gain insight into how tackling aging by targeting

telomerase might work, researchers looked at mice that lack a telomerase gene. These mice have

shorter telomeres than normal mice and age prematurely. However, when these mice were engineered

to express telomerase in their somatic cells, their telomeres lengthen and the effects of aging are

reversed. This observation suggests that a drug that stimulates the expression of telomerase in somatic

cells could prevent telomere shortening and stop the aging process. Consider how such a drug would

work and what may be some potential side effects of such a drug?

Answer 1

some potential side effects of such a drug will be checked by considering this postulations

Since ageing is a universal human feature, it is not surprising that, from the Babylonian epic of Gilgamesh to Ponce de Leon seeking the "Fountain of Youth," countless people have dreamed of finding a way to avoid ageing, to no avail. Yet the search continues. In this review, we present one of the latest candidates: the enzyme telomerase, capable of elongating the tips of chromosomes, the telomeres. Research into the causes of cellular ageing established the telomeres as the molecular clock that counts the number of times cells divide and triggers cellular senescence. Herein, we review arguments both in favor and against the use of telomerase as an anti-ageing therapy. The importance of the telomeres in cellular ageing, the low or non-existent levels of telomerase activity in human tissues, and the ability of telomerase to immortalize human cells suggest that telomerase can be used as an anti-ageing therapy. On the other hand, recent experiments in mice have raised doubts whether telomerase affects organismal ageing. Results from human cells expressing telomerase have also suggested telomerase may promote tumorigenesis. We conclude that, though telomerase may be used in regenerative medicine and to treat specific diseases, it is unlikely to become a source of anti-ageing therapies.