Telomerase Level: A Useful Tool to Predict Longevity

Abstract

In the context of the global elderly population increase, due to the rise of average life span, many researches try to explain the molecular bases of ageing and age-related diseases. In the headlines, there are the telomere-telomerase based studies, which support the idea that telomere length dynamics and telomerase activity level are involved in cellular senescence, immortalization and tumorigenesis. Here, no statistical difference is shown between hTERT content in the plasma of young and elderly groups, Nevertheless the higher level of telomerase increases with age in the older age group. A good balance between telomerase level and telomere shortening seems to be a useful machinery to maintain health and prolong lifespan. In this scientific concept, further progress has to be made in order to explain the origin of increasing life span and the lack of pathology during ageing.