Researchers from the School of Molecular Sciences at Arizona State University have discovered a unknown step in the telomerase enzyme catalytic cycle. The enzyme telomerase is known for lengthening telomeres and adding to the DNA chain, therefore making it somewhat immortal. Although this may sound intriguing, this can come with a negative side effect. Since the telomerase is adding to the lifespan of the telomere, some adult stem cells may become weak and the healing process that is associated with stem cells may end up taking longer. Another negative effect with increasing telomere length is a higher chance of cancer development. A positive impact of this process is a longer lifespan of chromosomes that will ultimately lead to a longer lifespan of an individual. …show more content…
Telomerase has a hidden pause signal to stop DNA synthesis. However as telomerase continues onto the next DNA repeat, this pause signal is still working and will stop the synthesis when the time is right. Also, this discovery led to the an understanding of why a specific nucleotide stimulates the activity of the telomerase. This nucleotide will charge the telomerase to better withstand the pause signals and reduction sites. With increasing the telomerase activity, scientists found that it is possible to treat diseases linked to a shortage of telomeres on the chromosome, including dyskeratosis congenita, aplastic anemia, and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. As a result of this discovery, the scientists and researchers now hope to produce a new drug treatment specifically designed for telomere length that will increase the telomerase activity and heal diseases without increasing the risk of