FERREIRA , Miguel G.

Background: Cancer incidence increases with age. Due to the end-replicative problem, telomeres shorten with each cell division throughout our lives. Telomere shortening has consequences beyond the cellular level. As we age, cells approach replicative senescence and DNA damage emanating by short telomeres initiate a cascade of events that...

The role of telomerase reverse transcriptase has been widely investigated in the contexts of ageing and age-related diseases. Interestingly, decreased telomerase activities (and accelerated telomere shortening) have also been reported in patients with emotion-related disorders, opening the possibility for subjective appraisal of stressful...