A researcher at New York's Albert Einstein College of Medicine has demonstrated a technique to measure the health of human genetic material in relation to a patient's age.
Dr. Gil Atzmon hopes that the dissemination of this technique that measures telomere length will lead to the development of a "genetic thermometer" to assess a patient's health in relation to other individuals of the same age.
Recently, telomeres have gained attention because they serve as "caps" to chromosomes. As such, they mark the ends of genetic material and ensure that genes do not degrade as cells divide.
Starting with the first replication of DNA and division of a fertilized egg, chromosomes shorten because the DNA replication process is imperfect. Certain organs, like the stomach or skin, are composed of tissues that reconstitute themselves frequently. In these organs, and in young individuals, the telomerase enzyme extends telomeres with each division, negating chromosomal shortening that would otherwise occur.
Telomerase activity declines as people age, and as a result telomeres shorten and can be responsible for age related afflictions and some cancers. Overall health can impact how quickly these telomeres degrade.
"Think of telomere length as though it was a thermometer. It measures the health of your genetic material," Dr. Atzmon explained.
"It tells you how fit you are in relation to the age you are. If you have longer telomeres you are in good shape, if you have shorter telomeres you are less fit for your age and are not in good health," he stated.
Adoption of this technique will allow clinicians to monitor a patient's health as they are treated, by comparing telomere degradation of a sick patient to other patients with that disease and to determine if treatment is slowing degradation.
The technique is described in JoVE, May 22.
