Eroded telomeres are behind a rare premature aging syndrome

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POT of gold. Mice lacking POT1b have shortened telomeres (green) and develop a rare yet fatal premature aging syndrome called dyskeratosis congenita.
POT of gold. Mice lacking POT1b have shortened telomeres (green) and develop a rare yet fatal premature aging syndrome called dyskeratosis congenita.

(PhysOrg.com) -- Each time a cell divides, the protective caps at the ends of chromosomes shorten — and when these caps are gone, so are we. Now, by using an unconventional strategy to shorten telomeres in mice, researchers at Rockefeller University have not only created the first faithful mouse model for studying a rare yet fatal premature aging syndrome, but they have revealed the molecular defect behind the disease.


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