This enzyme, called telomerase, slows the rate at which telomeres degrade, and research indicates that healthy people with longer telomeres have less risk of developing the common illnesses of aging - like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer, which are three… — Elizabeth Blackburn Copy Share Image
Medicine has been successful by treating diseases in a very specific way once the damage is done. But telomere length integrates a lot of factors together and gives you an overall picture of risk for what is now emerging as… — Elizabeth Blackburn Copy Share Image
Perhaps arising from a fascination with animals, biology seemed the most interesting of sciences to me as a child. — Elizabeth Blackburn Copy Share Image
Ageing is so many different things, and cells being able to self-renew is part of the picture but not all of it. — Elizabeth Blackburn Copy Share Image
Generally, we try to have a situation where the person is healthy, so you're not confounded by disease. So, that means that healthy individuals… — Elizabeth Blackburn Copy Share Image
Researchers have found that the brain definitely sends nerves directly to organs of the immune system and not just to the heart and the… — Elizabeth Blackburn Copy Share Image
Checking your telomere length is a bit like weighing yourself: you get this single number which depends on a lot of factors. Telomere length… — Elizabeth Blackburn Copy Share Image
“Remember, as Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Don’t be too timid or squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment. The more experiments you… — Elizabeth Blackburn Copy Share Image
If a test showed you had telomere shortening, it would be a red flag suggesting you should take a look at possible risk factors. — Elizabeth Blackburn Copy Share Image
Telomeres are the protective caps at the ends of chromosomes in cells. Chromosomes carry the genetic information. Telomeres are buffers. They are like the… — Elizabeth Blackburn Copy Share Image
I was using very unconventional methods to sequence the telemetric DNA, originally. — Elizabeth Blackburn Copy Share Image
One characteristic aspect of ageing is the increased susceptibility to disease, particularly age-related diseases such as cardiovascular diseases and cancer. — Elizabeth Blackburn Copy Share Image
I'm pretty good about getting some exercise every day - well, most days. The secret for me was to put the elliptical in front… — Elizabeth Blackburn Copy Share Image
Observational studies show that exercise, nutritional supplements and reducing psychological stress can help. Chronic high stress and smoking can lead to accelerated telomere shortening. — Elizabeth Blackburn Copy Share Image
