They reveal more data on "biological aging"

Feb 8, 2010 12:21 GMT  ·  By
Telomeres, in white, exist on all chromosomes within all cells carrying genetic material
   Telomeres, in white, exist on all chromosomes within all cells carrying genetic material

According to a group of British researchers, the genes that show just how much people are exposed to illnesses when they become old have been identified. Experts from the University of Leicester, and Kings College London, say that the finding could be of significant importance for discovering people at risk of age-related illnesses early on, while others argue that it could be used to prevent a large number of heart-disease cases in the general population. The discovery focuses not on actual genes, but on gene variants that some individuals sport, and that show that differences in the biological clock exist throughout these people's cells, the BBC News reports.

Researchers know that a lot of people are prone to developing diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and heart conditions when they grow old, but in some instances these afflictions set on at an age earlier than expected. One of the reasonings for this holds telomeres responsible. These are small biological timers that can be found within the chromosomes of each cell carrying genetic material. As cells divide, these structures become shorter and shorter, and many researchers have said that this could be one of the reasons why people are at more risk of diseases once they age.

In the case of individuals who are born with shorter telomeres, or who lose length in these times more rapidly, age-related illnesses have been found to be installing a lot faster. The research team therefore set out to determine which genes were at play in people with shorter telomeres, and analyzed 500,000 genetic variations across the entire human genome in order to discover them. The investigation revealed that most of the variants were associated with a gene called TERC, which appeared to be tied directly to people having a higher chance of getting three or four extra years of biological aging.

Details of the amazing, new study appear in the latest issue of the esteemed scientific journal Nature Genetics. “What our study suggests is that some people are genetically programmed to age at a faster rate. Alternatively, genetically susceptible people may age even faster when exposed to proven 'bad' environments for telomeres such as smoking, obesity or lack of exercise – and end up several years biologically older or succumbing to more age-related diseases,” King's College London expert, Professor Tim Spector explains.

“Understanding how our cells age is an important step in our quest for better ways to prevent and treat heart disease. Perhaps in the future one of the ways we try to reduce the risk of, or treat, heart disease would be to use an 'anti-aging' approach for our arteries,” the Associate Medical Director of the British Heart Foundation, Professor Jeremy Pearson, concludes. The BHF participated in funding this study.