Stress, Telomeres and Telomerase in Humans

This lecture from the iBioSeminars project is presented by Elizabeth Blackburn from the University of California, San Francisco Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics. It covers telomerase, a specialized ribonucleprotein reverse transcriptase, important for long-term eukaryotic cell proliferation and genomic stability because it replenishes the DNA at telomeres. Telomerase is highly active in many human malignancies, and a potential target for anti-cancer approaches. Additionally, recent collaborative studies have shown the relationship between accelerated telomere shortening and life stress and that low telomerase levels are associated with six prominent risk factors for cardiovascular disease. This video is the third of three parts, running 45:58 minutes and can be downloaded in QuickTime, MP4, M4V, or PDF formats. It can also be streamed on iTunes or YouTube.