All articles tagged with #telomeres
Using Britain’s postwar sugar rationing as a natural experiment, researchers found that lower sugar exposure before age 2 is associated with a lower incidence of several cancers (notably a 69% reduction in liver cancer) and about 2.2 years slower biological aging, as well as healthier, lower-sugar diets in midlife, suggesting early-life sweetness exposure can influence health and taste preferences for decades.
A UK Biobank-based study leveraging the end of post-war sugar rationing finds that individuals exposed to sugar limits in the first 1,000 days of life had lower rates of several cancers (liver, rectal, lung, prostate and breast) in adulthood and longer leukocyte telomeres, implying slower biological aging. The researchers propose two pathways: a lasting biological imprint and enduring healthier dietary habits. Yet the study is observational with limitations (possible biases, non-representative sample) and does not justify extreme sugar restriction; rather, it supports moderating added sugar during pregnancy and early childhood.
A 1940s UK sugar rationing policy limited sugar intake during the first 1,000 days of life. In a UK Biobank study of 64,761 people born 1951–1956, those exposed to sugar restriction in early life had dramatically lower adult cancer incidence (liver 69% lower; prostate 52%; lung 41%; rectal 40%; breast 36%), longer telomeres equating to about 2.2 years less biological aging, and persisted healthier diets into adulthood. The study, published in PNAS (2026) by Chen Zhu and Weilong Zhang, is observational but uses the rationing cutoff to suggest causal links between early sugar exposure and cancer risk.
A UK Biobank study of 49,414 adults found filtered coffee linked to slower biological aging (lower PhenoAgeAccel and KDM-BAAccel, higher rLTL), while instant coffee associated with faster aging (higher PhenoAgeAccel and KDM-BAAccel, lower rLTL). Effects are small and influenced by covariates like smoking, BMI, and dairy/sugar adds; among those drinking more than three cups of instant coffee, older adults, men, and current smokers showed greater age-acceleration in some measures.
Regular exercise can modulate all 14 hallmarks of ageing identified in a scientific review, improving genome stability, telomere maintenance, epigenetic regulation, proteostasis, autophagy, mitochondria, intercellular communication and inflammation among others; the lifestyle benefits are echoed by findings that 7,000 daily steps cut all-cause mortality by ~47% and strength training may add up to four years of life.
Therapeutic inhibition of telomeric DNA damage response using telomeric antisense oligonucleotides (tASO) suppresses tDDR signaling in telomerase-deficient mice and physiologically aged mice, reducing cellular senescence and inflammation, restoring hematopoietic tissue architecture, enhancing hematopoietic stem/progenitor cell quiescence and fitness, and improving in vivo repopulation and humoral immune responses; ex vivo human aged CD34+ HSPCs also show improved clonogenic potential. Telomere length is unchanged, indicating relief of dysfunction via tDDR blockade rather than telomere elongation, suggesting tDDR inhibition as a therapeutic strategy for telomere biology disorders and age-related hematopoietic aging.
NASA's year-long twin study found spaceflight caused lasting genetic and physiological changes: about 7% of Scott Kelly's gene expression changed during flight, telomeres lengthened then shortened after return, and cognitive abilities declined; six months later, 811 genes remained differently expressed, underscoring potential safety needs for long missions and the need for more subjects to generalize results.
NASA’s Scott–Mark Kelly twin study found no DNA sequence changes from a 340‑day mission, but about 7% of Scott’s gene expression remained dysregulated six months after landing. Telomeres lengthened in space and then shortened to below baseline upon return. Cognitive performance stayed slower for months; immune function, DNA repair, bone formation, hypoxia response, and mitochondrial pathways were affected, and liver metabolism shifted, suggesting spaceflight perturbs an interconnected biological network with lasting effects for future long-duration missions.
Researchers uncovered a two-part genetic strategy used by melanoma cells to bypass cellular aging: mutations that boost telomerase production via TERT and concurrent promoter mutations in ACD that recruit telomerase to telomeres through the shelterin component TPP1, lengthening chromosome caps and enabling extended cell division. This explains the unusually long telomeres seen in melanoma and points to a potential new therapeutic target.
Biomedical engineer Joseph Dituri spent 100 days in a 22-foot-deep underwater habitat at 1.6 ATA, undergoing tests that found increased energy, lower cholesterol and inflammatory markers, and a sevenfold rise in testosterone, plus REM sleep gains and a temporary height loss from pressure. He argues daily hyperbaric oxygen therapy could shave 10 years off age, but scientists caution there is no robust evidence that such exposure extends life expectancy and some findings were misinterpreted. Dituri is now part of a larger 200-participant XPRIZE effort to study healthy lifespan extension.
A study of about 1,600 adults found higher blood levels of theobromine, a compound in cocoa, linked to slower biological aging markers—lower GrimAge acceleration and longer telomeres. The association persisted after adjusting for age, weight, smoking, and even caffeine, and appeared strongest among former smokers. The work is observational, so it cannot prove causation, and researchers emphasize diet quality over chasing a single nutrient. They note the potential that theobromine enhances cocoa’s polyphenols, and call for controlled trials to determine causality and practical guidance on dark‑chocolate consumption.
Dick Van Dyke recently turned 100 and attributes his longevity to a positive outlook and never getting angry; research cited alongside the piece links optimism and stress reduction to longer lifespans, discusses telomeres as a cellular aging factor, and notes that better anger management and healthy habits may contribute to longer, healthier aging.
A King's College London study found higher blood theobromine levels, a compound in dark chocolate and coffee, are linked to slower biological aging markers (GrimAge and DNAmTL) in about 1,600 adults, even after accounting for caffeine; the signal is strongest among former-smokers and appears independent of caffeine. However, the study is observational and cannot prove causation, so researchers advocate focusing on overall diet quality rather than chasing a single nutrient, while noting dark chocolate’s sugar and fat content and the importance of modest portions.
Researchers show that upregulating the neural stem cell protein DMTF1 reverses aging-related proliferation decline in neural stem cells, restoring their growth in human and mouse models via chromatin remodeling and telomere-related pathways—offering a framework for brain repair therapies, though the work is early-stage.
NASA's twin study compared Scott Kelly in orbit with his Earthbound brother Mark to isolate space effects; researchers found rapid gene-expression shifts and heightened immune activity in Scott, with telomere elongation in space that shortened after return; radiation caused more DNA damage and repair signals in Scott than Mark; by six to eight months post-mission, most gene-expression changes had reverted, indicating reversibility but signaling potential long-term risks for future long-duration missions such as cardiovascular strain, vision problems, and cancer risk.