The END of Chromosomes determines the END of our life. But is it really true?
News of last May about the possibility to know the end of our life testing the ends of our chromosomes have raised lots of rumor. As reported in the Independent on May 16th, by the end of this year, paying roughly 500 Euros, through a simple and specific blood test in England, it will be possible to know how long we can yet live. As expected, ethical controversies about this matter are on the rise.
More precisely, the test should allow to understand the 'biological age' of a person, as measured by the length of a person's telomeres, the terminal part of our chromosomes. Actually, the test will establish if our 'biological age' is higher or lower than our 'chronological age'. According to the Medical community, in the next years, telomeres tests promise to be even more developed and perfected.
Needless to say, knowing the 'real age' will have a profound impact on a person's life and alarming could be the speculations of life-insurance companies, unscrupulous employers and profit-oriented companies proposing anti-age remedies with little or none scientific foundation.The wisest front of the Scientific Community, however, invokes the urgency of control systems to prevent useless dramas and unethical behavior and practices.
On the other hand, by the same admission of Maria Blasco, the Scientist at the National Cancer Research Center in Madrid, who proposed the Telomeres Test, not much is known on humans so to warrant secure answers to life expectancy. In the interview appeared in the Independent on May 16th, she affirmed that, although it's known that individuals born with telomeres shorter than normal also have a lower life expectancy, it's not known, however, if longer telomeres are also associated with longer life expectancy. At least, it is not well known for humans.
The real novelty of the test proposed by her through her Company, Life Lenght, is the precision by which even the smallest differences can be detected easily, rapidly and analyzing simultaneously several samples. More importantly, the Company claims to be able to detect the presence of really dangerous telomeres, the very short ones. Right now, Life Lenght is in contact with important Diagnostic Centers in all Europe to collect blood samples which will be analyzed in Spain. Agreements with a Company operating in the United Kingdom should be reached in one year. At the present moment, Life Lenght is the only company selling the test without need of medical prescription.
Prof Jerry Shay, at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, in Dallas, as reported in the same article in the Independent, underlies the importance of the Biological Age and how Telomeres length can give a good representation of it.
Personally, I believe that even though, the test may facilitate Research on Telomeres length in humans and in understanding its implications in human health, it's hazardous to advance more hypotheses on life expectancy, before more precise strategies of association will be designed and investigated. I could also see how eventual statistical data may be affected by the emotional impact that a telomeres test response may have on a person's life. For example, if an individual received the undesirable response to have telomeres shorter than normal, how much more depressed he/she will feel because of the bad news, and how much worse will he/she live? Probably, even at the point to shorten his/her life expectancy. Would not that be true?
So why not live to the full uncaring of our telomeres length? Even more so now that Epigenetic Research seems to strongly suggest that not all is written on our DNA genes, that is on our chromosomes and therefore less than ever on our chromosome ends, the telomeres. Let's give time to Research to discover more in this arena before burden ourselves with useless weight or 'lengths'.
To know more on Telomeres and the latest news, visit:
http://www.wallstreetitalia.com/article/1132809/quanto-vi-rimane-da-vivere-ve-lo-dira-un-test-al-costo-di-500.aspx
http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/begin/traits/telomeres/
http://wmbriggs.com/blog/?p=3905
More precisely, the test should allow to understand the 'biological age' of a person, as measured by the length of a person's telomeres, the terminal part of our chromosomes. Actually, the test will establish if our 'biological age' is higher or lower than our 'chronological age'. According to the Medical community, in the next years, telomeres tests promise to be even more developed and perfected.
Needless to say, knowing the 'real age' will have a profound impact on a person's life and alarming could be the speculations of life-insurance companies, unscrupulous employers and profit-oriented companies proposing anti-age remedies with little or none scientific foundation.The wisest front of the Scientific Community, however, invokes the urgency of control systems to prevent useless dramas and unethical behavior and practices.
On the other hand, by the same admission of Maria Blasco, the Scientist at the National Cancer Research Center in Madrid, who proposed the Telomeres Test, not much is known on humans so to warrant secure answers to life expectancy. In the interview appeared in the Independent on May 16th, she affirmed that, although it's known that individuals born with telomeres shorter than normal also have a lower life expectancy, it's not known, however, if longer telomeres are also associated with longer life expectancy. At least, it is not well known for humans.
The real novelty of the test proposed by her through her Company, Life Lenght, is the precision by which even the smallest differences can be detected easily, rapidly and analyzing simultaneously several samples. More importantly, the Company claims to be able to detect the presence of really dangerous telomeres, the very short ones. Right now, Life Lenght is in contact with important Diagnostic Centers in all Europe to collect blood samples which will be analyzed in Spain. Agreements with a Company operating in the United Kingdom should be reached in one year. At the present moment, Life Lenght is the only company selling the test without need of medical prescription.
Prof Jerry Shay, at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, in Dallas, as reported in the same article in the Independent, underlies the importance of the Biological Age and how Telomeres length can give a good representation of it.
Personally, I believe that even though, the test may facilitate Research on Telomeres length in humans and in understanding its implications in human health, it's hazardous to advance more hypotheses on life expectancy, before more precise strategies of association will be designed and investigated. I could also see how eventual statistical data may be affected by the emotional impact that a telomeres test response may have on a person's life. For example, if an individual received the undesirable response to have telomeres shorter than normal, how much more depressed he/she will feel because of the bad news, and how much worse will he/she live? Probably, even at the point to shorten his/her life expectancy. Would not that be true?
So why not live to the full uncaring of our telomeres length? Even more so now that Epigenetic Research seems to strongly suggest that not all is written on our DNA genes, that is on our chromosomes and therefore less than ever on our chromosome ends, the telomeres. Let's give time to Research to discover more in this arena before burden ourselves with useless weight or 'lengths'.
To know more on Telomeres and the latest news, visit:
http://www.wallstreetitalia.com/article/1132809/quanto-vi-rimane-da-vivere-ve-lo-dira-un-test-al-costo-di-500.aspx
http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/begin/traits/telomeres/
http://wmbriggs.com/blog/?p=3905
1 comment:
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