Telomere length and its assessment for female reproduction

The award of the 2009 Nobel Prize for Physiology and Medicine to Blackburn, Greider, and Szostak recognized the importance of their contribution from the 1980s onward on the biology and significance of telomeres and telomerase. This work provided insight into a fundamental cellular mechanism by identifying the chromosome capping role of the repeating deoxyribonuclease (DNA) sequences that constitute the telomere for the accurate control of DNA replication. The importance of telomere shortening with repeated cycles of DNA replication and the role of telomerase in rebuilding telomere length became of considerable interest with the association of telomere shortening with aging, cellular senescence, and many pathologies.
Source: Fertility and Sterility - Category: Reproduction Medicine Authors: Tags: Reflections Source Type: research