- D A N I S H A G I N G R E S E A R C H C E N T E R -www.sdu.dk/darc

Telomeres in agingTelomeres in agingUniversal STELA – a method to measure Universal STELA – a method to measure

telomerestelomeres

Why do we age so differently?

Laila Bendix, MD

VELUX FONDEN

Funded by:

- D A N I S H A G I N G R E S E A R C H C E N T E R -www.sdu.dk/darc

Telomeres - structureTelomeres - structure

- D A N I S H A G I N G R E S E A R C H C E N T E R -www.sdu.dk/darc

Telomeres - function Telomeres - function Differentiating from DSB Shorten with cell aging

Harley et al 1990, Nature

End replication problem

- D A N I S H A G I N G R E S E A R C H C E N T E R -www.sdu.dk/darc

Telomeres relate to human Telomeres relate to human aging aging

Kimura et al 2008

Halaschek-Wiener et al 2008

- D A N I S H A G I N G R E S E A R C H C E N T E R -www.sdu.dk/darc

Do telomeres also shorten Do telomeres also shorten abruptlyabruptly

Signal free ends

Graakjaer et al, Aging Cell 2004

12 kb

8 kb

4 kb

1.6 kb

0.6 kb

0.1 kb

Very short telomeres

Baird et al, Nat Genet 2003

- D A N I S H A G I N G R E S E A R C H C E N T E R -www.sdu.dk/darc

Abrupt shortening - Abrupt shortening - mechanismsmechanisms

Passos et al 2007, NAR

Ferenac et al, 2005; J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci

- D A N I S H A G I N G R E S E A R C H C E N T E R -www.sdu.dk/darc

OverskriftOverskrift

Tekst Punkt 1 Punkt 2

Underpunkt 1

- D A N I S H A G I N G R E S E A R C H C E N T E R -www.sdu.dk/darc

Universal STELA – assay Universal STELA – assay principlesprinciples

- D A N I S H A G I N G R E S E A R C H C E N T E R -www.sdu.dk/darc

Telomeres – Project part ITelomeres – Project part I

Short telomeres in organismal aging Does the number of short telomeres predict

mortality even better?

Number of short telomeres and DNA repair DNA repair functional studies Mitochondrial function Snp´s

- D A N I S H A G I N G R E S E A R C H C E N T E R -www.sdu.dk/darc

Telomeres and social classTelomeres and social class

What do we think telomere length is an age-related parameter that remains

aberrant after many years, and therefore is a suitable marker for social stress during life.

What do we know Individuals of lower socio-economic status have shorter

telomeres than their peers of a higher socio-economic status. Cherkas et al, 2006

No association between socio-economic status and telomere length. Adams et al, 2007

What do we have CAMB, MONICA and DARC Newer and better (?) methods

- D A N I S H A G I N G R E S E A R C H C E N T E R -www.sdu.dk/darc

Telomeres – Project part IITelomeres – Project part II

Establish a high throughput method to measure telomeres

Measure telomere lengths on samples collected in the CAMB study

… and later Examine other aging related molecular

biomarkers on same samples Short telomeres and social class