I have been enthusiastic about telomerase therapies for anti-aging since 2003. But if I can’t change my mind as new data appears, what’s the point of being a scientist? I still believe that lengthening telomeres is a net benefit, but the potential for added years is modest, and there are probably risks and tradeoffs. The study that has most influenced me is this one, implying that telomerase affects epigenetics (through methylation) in ways that accelerate aging. My theory is that the unexpected relationship between telomerase and methylation is an example of antagonistic pleiotropy, but pleiotropy in a very different sense
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