I would like all scientists(especially in biology and medicine, Genetics related fields) on nairaland to come here.

I've been reading articles, journals, research papers on Telomers, Telomerase and Ubiquitin system. Its pretty interesting I must say.

Since Telomeres play a roles in Aging and Cancer as we have known from researches that cancer cells chromosomes have longer telomeres that's why they are immortal.

UBiquitin as we all know is
involved in DNA repair, embryogenesis, the
regulation of transcription, and apoptosis
(programmed cell death).

Lately scientists found two new (maybe) 'super' proteins that can acts as tumour supressors in the ubiquitin system. They published the article on CELL. The mechanism is quite complex to me. And I have lots of questions. Before cancer occurs. 1. There is always a supressing or inactivation of tumour supressors.
2. Activation of Oncogenes
3. Mestastasis and 4. Angiogenesis.
Now, won't these new proteins be supressed by the mutations that give rise to cancer?

Now to the questions,

Do you think we can solve Anti-Aging without solving Cancer? For examples, if by any chance we discover a way to make human telomeres much longer and solve the lagging strand problem, what about cancer cells?

Do you think we can solve Anti-Aging problem without solving DNA damages, Mutations and Repair mechanisms first?

Do you think there is (maybe another) link between Telomeres, the ubiquitin system and cancer?

What do you think stem cell research can do to the above?

Tags: AgentOfAllah, Davidylan, Liekiller, Plaetton, Davien, Blackjewelry

I do have interest in the outcome of this discussion. Unfortunately, there's very little I can contribute, myself, as my expertise is more in the physics discipline than biology. Apologies that I couldn't be of help, Peterken05.

same here my friend... I am a biologist but this is not at all my field of expertise, sorry.

Although am not vast in this field, let me contribute the little I can. I think we can solve aging problem without solving cancer, though understanding how cancer works might help aging problems. My reason being that high telomeres activities does not cause cancer rather high telomeres activities is part of activities that the cancer use to stay healthy in it own world.

Aging in a way is our body trying to prevent cancer as our genetic makeup begin to breakdown. While cancer ( my thought though ) is our own body carrying out it own experiments remember evolution is slow process and it is a trial and error process.
On the other hand I don't think humanity is not ready for immortality yet. Infact if I have the secret to immortality I will not give it out, I don't think any core scientist will. My reasons are one, the need for balance in the ecosystem, with the recent explosion of the human population, we have gradually becoming a threat to other species.
Secondly can you imagine people like Hitler becoming and immortal. throughout human history greedy kings and others have search for the elixir of life, if any of them did find a solution back then what do you think world be today.
I only support life extension base on scientific ground and I very much hope we achieve that in the nearest future because of it many potential in the medical field

will contribute later but quite busy now

okay liekiller and Agentofallah

[quote author=Blakjewelry post=33629756]I think we can solve aging problem without solving cancer, though understanding how cancer works might help aging problems.

My reason being that high telomeres activities does not cause cancer rather high telomeres activities is part of activities that the cancer use to stay healthy in it own world.

yh, i agree to some extent. maybe because you aint that vast in the area. cancer cells reproduce fast/spontaneous because they somehow have inactivate growth inhibitors and brakes. since DNA replication posses the problem of lagging strand because they divide from 3'-5'. that means DNA shortens after each replication, but telomeres prevent this from happening to fast by the enzyme telomerase which elongate the DNA with the cap telomeres in which by the way shortens too. now cancer cells are reproducing uncontrollably and there telomeres are much longer than that of normal cells, isn't that strange? to me if we can solve anti aging problem, we should be able to reverse the process in cancer cells at the molecular level or otherwise

Aging in a way is our body trying to prevent cancer as our genetic makeup begin to breakdown.

how?

While cancer ( my thought though ) is our own body carrying out it own experiments remember evolution is slow process and it is a trial and error process.

i dont get

On the other hand I don't think humanity is not ready for immortality yet. Infact if I have the secret to immortality I will not give it out, I don't think any core scientist will. My reasons are one, the need for balance in the ecosystem, with the recent explosion of the human population, we have gradually becoming a threat to other species.
Secondly can you imagine people like Hitler becoming and immortal. throughout human history greedy kings and others have search for the elixir of life, if any of them did find a solution back then what do you think world be today.

lets leave ethics for now.
besides no one is talking about immortality, just extension of life

I only support life extension base on scientific ground and I very much hope we achieve that in the nearest future because of it many potential in the medical field

of course only science can do that

Peterken05:

yh, i agree to some extent. maybe because you
aint that vast in the area. cancer cells reproduce
fast/spontaneous because they somehow have
inactivate growth inhibitors and brakes. since
DNA replication posses the problem of lagging
strand because they divide from 3'-5'. that means
DNA shortens after each replication, but
telomeres prevent this from happening to fast by
the enzyme telomerase which elongate the DNA
with the cap telomeres in which by the way
shortens too. now cancer cells are reproducing
uncontrollably and there telomeres are much
longer than that of normal cells, isn't that
strange? to me if we can solve anti aging
problem, we should be able to reverse the
process in cancer cells at the molecular level or
otherwise

What makes cancer cells immortal is the high production of telomeres, the longer length of the telomeres produce is not cause of cancer cells immortality, because cancerous mostly maintenance a shorter telomeres than a normal cell. What keeps a cancer going is the high production of the enzyme telomerase which helps it keep it shorter telomeres stable instead of shortening it further after each cell division.

.:
how?

Barring other factors that contribute to aging, am going write from telomeres angle. When telomeres get too short due to cell division, to prevent the ends of the chromosomes rubbing against each or fuse together which might corrupt the cells original design which lead to mutation or cancer. The body trying to prevent this from happening kills off any cell when it telomeres is too short, as more cell die off without any adequate replacement, the organism age.

.:
i dont get

I was thinking (some cancer) might be our own body trying to solve the issue telomeres shortening problem but the results being disastrous, remember some of the benefits we enjoy today might be a pain in ass to our ancestors.

.:
lets leave ethics for now.

That view is more of a from a scientific angle ethical view.

.:
besides no one is talking about immortality,
just extension of life.

LOL, the keyword here is cell immortality.