Current Research into Telomeres
ufotruth at ix.netcom.com
ufotruth at ix.netcom.com
Mon Aug 31 16:08:45 EST 1998
How are you doing? I am doing ok but have been pretty busy. My new job
takes a lot of my time and energy.
Thanks for posting this informative post. It is very informative and
interesting. I have a couple of questions and comments I would like to
(I will try to keep my questions and comments short and simple so I
will not appear to be rambling or offend anyone.)
1) In your post it was stated:
"Age related genetic expression, especially in senescent cells, is
one of the keys to developing methods to intervene in the aging
process. Geron is collaborating with the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory,
Stanford University, and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer
Research, to identify those genes that may be involved in age-related
diseases. Their "Enhanced Differential Display" and "Subtractive
Differential Display" technologies allows the researchers to identify
particular genes and their products and may allow for the development
of methods to intervene in these processes. Their current efforts are
directed toward skin aging, atherosclerosis and macular degeneration."
My question is: Why is it so important to isolate every single gene in
senecent cells when just immortalizing every cell in the human body
would prevent any cells from becoming senecent, at least not from
telomere shortening, which would mean none of these genes would be
2) In your post it was stated that GERON was working on creating
immortal stem cells to create non dividing cells. Like, for example,
if someone's neurons were dying these stem cells could go in, divide,
and make some new ones.
But I have a question. If STEM cells started dividing and replacing
injured or dead neurons would memories disapear? Or would the new ones
take the place of the old ones in a way that the memories would be
3) When is someone going to actually try an experiment to rejuvinate
an actual organism, or just one type of organ, in an organism? It
seems like a company like GERON could easily take an old mouse,
hamster, or creature with old skin, for example, insert the telomerase
gene, and just see what occurs.
Or is it that this is already taking place but everyone is very quite
If something like that did occur I am sure the stinking feds would
stick their fat noses into it and site "national security" or some
Take care and have a great day.
On 31 Aug 1998 10:33:25 GMT, excelife at earthlink.net (Excelife) wrote:
>III CURRENT RESEARCH INTO TELOMERES
>A) GERON CORPORATION
>Geron Corp., who's research efforts are headed by Dr. Calvin Harley is the
>leading commercial research company investigating telomeres. They have
>formed collaborations with some of the best researchers and laboratories
>involved in this research.
>A description of these collaborations gives a good idea of where the research
>into telomeres is headed. The following is just a brief overview. A much
>more thorough description is given on Gerons web pages at
>1) Telomere Biology
>Their most publicized collaboration is with Dr J. Shay and Dr. W. Wright at
>Texas Southwest Medical Center. Their ground breaking research, (Science
>1998 Jan 16;279(5349):349-352), showed that the maintenance of telomeric
>length in cells would extend the cells replicative capacity beyond the
>expected Hayflick limit in "a phenotypically youthful state".
>Continued research into the effects of the enzyme telomerase with its ability
>to maintain telomeric length is likely to lead to a greater understanding of
>how we can develop a means of intervening in the aging process of replicating
>2) Telomerase Inhibition
>Much of Gerons research effort is directed toward finding methods to inhibit
>the expression of telomerase in cancerous tissue. Since the enzyme
>telomerase has been found to be activated in most cancers it is possible that
>the tumors could be stopped from growing if the telomerase could be inhibited
>from maintaining the telomeres. Geron is collaborating with both the
>National Cancer Institute and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer
>Research, in their search for a means to inhibit telomerase.
>3) Telomerase Detection
>Geron has developed a "proprietary screening technology" to help identify
>molecules that may inhibit telomerase and is collaborating with several
>medical institutes and Universities to refine this technology. This same
>technology will be important for determining telomerase-telomere interactions
>on a molecular basis and perhaps give us a better idea of the kinds of
>interventions that are possible.
>4) Genomics of Aging
>Age related genetic expression, especially in senescent cells, is one of the
>keys to developing methods to intervene in the aging process. Geron is
>collaborating with the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, Stanford University, and
>Memorial Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research, to identify those
>genes that may be involved in age-related diseases. Their "Enhanced
>Differential Display" and "Subtractive Differential Display" technologies
>allows the researchers to identify particular genes and their products and
>may allow for the development of methods to intervene in these processes.
>Their current efforts are directed toward skin aging, atherosclerosis and
>5) Primordial Stem Cells
>This research, being conducted in association with Johns Hopkins University
>School of Medicine, The University of Wisconsin at Madison, and The
>University of California, San Francisco, is potentially as important as the
>research into telomeres themselves. These stem cells are immortalized by the
>enzyme telomerase and are completely undifferentiated. They hold out the
>possibility that the non-replicating cells like nerves and most muscle cells
>can be replaced much as telomeric lengthening allows replicating cells to
>continue mitotic reproduction. If these primordial stem cells can be
>utilized to maintain the non-replicating cellular systems then every major
>hurdle to longevity can be overcome!
>Thomas Mahoney, Pres.
>Lifeline Laboratories, Inc.
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