Telomerase
... Pioneer Telomere Researchers and their tools Modern interest in telomeres and telomerase has its roots in experiments carried out in the 1930s by two geneticists: Barbara McClintock, then at the University of Missouri at Columbia, and Hermann J. ... ” Telomerase: A chance for a second, third, or fourth life? “Telomerase is a biochemical enzyme that adds telomere repeat sequences (AAUCCC in mammals) to the 5 ("five prime") end of DNA strands. By lengthening the strand before replication, cells with active telomerase catalytic activity are able to compensate for telomere shortening during DNA replication.” What this means is that telomerase is capable of halting of reversaing the effects of aging casued by telomeres and the Hayflick limit. With telomerase protecting the caps of your chromosomes, your cells may be able to divide indefinitly without ever shortening and losing any material. ... By adding telomerase - an enzyme, part protein and part RNA - we could relengthen the telomeres. ... Active research programs for telomerase inducer drugs are being conducted by the University of Texass Southwestern University Medical Center and by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory on Long Island, New York, as well as by biotech and pharmaceutical firms.” Telomeres and Telomerase: Ongoing Research With current knowledge of telomeres and telomerase, scientists are looking into creating skin grafts for burn victims, or even eliminating or reversing the onset of wrinkles. With telomerase, cells can become young again and divide normally. Knowledge of telomerase may also prevent cancer!