Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2018 Sep 14;123(7):787-802.
doi: 10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.118.312202.

Heart-Breaking Telomeres

Affiliations
Review

Heart-Breaking Telomeres

Paula Martínez et al. Circ Res. .

Abstract

Telomeres, the protective ends of linear chromosomes, shorten throughout an individual's lifetime. Accumulation of critically short telomeres is proposed to be a primary molecular cause of aging and age-associated diseases. Mutations in telomere maintenance genes are associated with pathologies referred to as or telomeropathies. The rate of telomere shortening throughout life is determined by endogenous (genetic) and external (nongenetic) factors. Therapeutic strategies based on telomerase activation are being developed to treat and prevent telomere-associated diseases, namely aging-related diseases and telomeropathies. Here, we review the molecular mechanisms underlying telomere driven diseases with particular emphasis on cardiovascular diseases.

Keywords: cardiovascular diseases; mutation; telomerase; telomere shortening; telomeres.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

Cited by

Publication types

MeSH terms

LinkOut - more resources