Harry-- That crossed my mind, however, I do not understand a mechanism for reducing cancer. If anything the shorter telomeres from youth only mean that their cells will die off sooner than otherwise as normal replication proceeds, and hence, organs will wear out sooner.
I think it takes another change to the genetics of a good cell to turn it into a cancer cell. For example, a gene that normally inhibits the production of telomerase in that cell would be damaged and allow the production of telomerase and hence the continued production of run away cells--cancer. Viruses may in fact act to turn telomere production in a cell to help the virus survive and replicate. For a long time the telomeres on the ends of chromosomes were thought to have no function. It turned out this idea was wrong. Bob ----- Original Message ----- From: H Veeder To: [email protected] Sent: Saturday, April 12, 2014 1:45 PM Subject: Re: [Vo]:OT: Stress alters children's genomes Bob, Combining what the article says and what you says suggests to me that some childhood stress can reduce the risk of cancer. Is this a reasonable inference? harry On Sat, Apr 12, 2014 at 3:46 PM, Bob Cook <[email protected]> wrote: Additional information on telomere shortening: Telomerase, an enzyme maintaining the telomeres of eukaryotic chromosomes, is active in most human cancers and in germline cells but, with few exceptions, not in normal human somatic tissues. Telomeres on cancer cell chromosomes do not shorten at each cell division, unlike normal cells which eventually die because of multiple cell divisions. Thus, telomere maintenance is essential to the replicative potential of malignant cells. The inhibition of telomerase can lead to telomere shortening and cessation of unrestrained proliferation of cancer cells and death of cancer cells. The normal shortening also is thought to be a function of the immune system in allowing immune system identification of virus infected cells and immunization of healthy cells from attack by the virus. Since cancer cells do not respond to this immunization process to protect themselves, (they do not give up part of their telomeres upon dividing) they can be attacked by viruses and killed. If one's body is immune to a virus, cancer cells in that body may not be immune. For example, vaccinia virus, used for small pox vaccination, will attack cancer cells and cause them to die out, however, the virus does not attack normal cells of the immunized body. This understanding of cell replication and the function of shortening telomeres has lead to a cancer treatment using common viruses to selectively attack cancer cells. Complete recovery from cancer--a cure--seemed apparent. Side effects were nil. Bob . ----- Original Message ----- From: H Veeder To: [email protected] Sent: Saturday, April 12, 2014 11:24 AM Subject: [Vo]:OT: Stress alters children's genomes Stress alters children's genomes Poverty and unstable family environments shorten chromosome-protecting telomeres in nine-year-olds. http://www.nature.com/news/stress-alters-children-s-genomes-1.14997
