For decades, researchers have studied DNA “caps” at the ends of chromosomes, known as telomeres, to better understand how and why we age—and perhaps find ways to slow or even halt the aging process. As cells divide over time, these caps fall off, leaving cells vulnerable to decay and eventually death. Scientists have sought ways to lengthen telomeres, or at least prevent them from falling off, to avoid that fate.
The research group studied 17 individuals from five families that all have an inherited variant of a gene,, that leads to longer than average telomeres. They found an array of tumors, including skin, thyroid, and brain tumors, as well as incidences of CHIP, in eight of the 12 individuals analyzed. Among 21 relatives without the mutation, only two had CHIP. The group suspects that cells with
, which could allow more time for random mutations to accumulate, some of which can lead to the production of cancers,
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