�BACKGROUND:
Every cell contains a tiny clock called a telomere, which shortens each time the cell divides. Short telomeres are coupled to a range of human diseases, including HIV, osteoporosis, heart disease and aging. Previous studies exhibit that an enzyme within the cell, called telomerase, keeps immune cells pres Young by preserving their telomere length and ability to continue dividing.
FINDINGS:
UCLA scientists establish that the stress endocrine cortisol suppresses immune cells' ability to activate their telomerase. This may explain why the cells of persons under chronic accent have shorter telomeres.
IMPACT:
The sketch reveals how stress makes people more susceptible to illness. The findings as well suggest a potential do drugs target for preventing damage to the immune systems of persons who ar under long-run stress, such as caregivers to chronically ill category members, as well as astronauts, soldiers, air traffic controllers and people world Health Organization drive foresighted daily commutes.
AUTHOR:
Rita Effros, prof of pathology and research laboratory medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, and a member of the Jonsson Cancer Center, Molecular Biology Institute and UCLA AIDS Institute, is available for interviews.
"When the body is under tenseness, it boosts production of cortisol to support a "fight or flight" answer," explains Effros. "If the hormone cadaver elevated in the blood stream for long periods of time, though, it wears down the immune arrangement. We ar testing curative ways of enhancing telomerase levels to help the immune system ward off cortisol's force. If we're successful, unrivaled day a pill english hawthorn exist to strengthen the immune system's ability to weather chronic emotional stress."
JOURNAL:
The research was published in the May issue of the peer-reviewed journal Brain, Behavior and Immunity.
FUNDING:
The study was supported by the National Institute of Aging, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, the Geron Corp. and TA Therapeutics, Ltd.
Contact: Elaine Schmidt
University of California - Los Angeles
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