Influence of Donor and Recipient Gender on Telomere Maintenance after Umbilical Cord Blood Cell Transplantation: A Study by the Gruppo Italiano Trapianto Di Midollo Osseo

Telomeres are noncoding long-tandem-repeated sequences at the ends of chromosomes that prevent chromosomal fusions, accumulation of DNA damage, and degradation of coding DNA [1,2]. Telomere maintenance is crucial for genomic stability in eukaryotic cells, because telomere shortening leads to accumulation of DNA damage and replicative senescence or cell death [2]. Telomere shortening is prevented by human telomerase (hTERT), an enzyme able to add nucleotides pairs de novo, restoring telomere sequences [3 –7].

Source: Biology of Blood and Marrow Transplantation - March 28, 2019 Category: Hematology Authors: E. Derenzini, A. Risso, M. Ruella, T. Spatola, G. Milone, P. Pioltelli, A.P. Iori, S. Santarone, A. Bosi, A. Rambaldi, A.P. Bacigalupo, W. Arcese, Corrado Tarella Tags: Cord Blood Source Type: research