Telomerase reactivation reverses tissue degeneration in aged telomerase-deficient mice

Loss of telomeres, the protective tips on the ends of chromosomes, causes tissue atrophy and other damage. A growing body of evidence points to telomere defects as a driver of age-associated organ decline and disease. Ronald DePinho and colleagues now show that reactivation of endogenous telomerase in mice extends telomeres, reduces DNA damage signalling, allows resumption of proliferation in quiescent cultures and eliminates degenerative...