00:00 [music]
00:04 When cells divide, the telomeres at the end of your chromosomes, which protect genetic
00:08 material, shorten.
00:09 Over time, those telomeres lose their protective ability, and if genetic material is damaged
00:13 too badly, it can start to mutate, and things like cancer can result from that.
00:17 But it doesn't always happen, and scientists might finally know why.
00:20 A new study published in the journal Nature Structure and Molecular Biology outlines how
00:25 when cells divide too many times, and telomeres get too short to provide protection, cells
00:29 enter a phase which the researchers call cellular senescence.
00:33 It's something they say is a zombie-like cell state, because they're both resistant to death
00:37 and continue to grow in number as we age.
00:39 But while they are good at preventing catastrophic illnesses like cancer, they actually make
00:43 one more susceptible to other illnesses.
00:45 And they can also promote tumor growth once it has occurred by increasing inflammation.
00:49 This is a new frontier in genetic research, giving experts a better understanding of the
00:53 damage of cell division, hopefully one day possibly finding therapies to protect telomeres
00:58 from damage, and preventing zombie cells from ever accruing in the first place.
01:03 (upbeat music)
01:05 (upbeat music)
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