00:04When cells divide, the telomeres at the end of your chromosomes, which protect genetic material, shorten.
00:10Over time, those telomeres lose their protective ability, and if genetic material is damaged too badly,
00:14it can start to mutate, and things like cancer can result from that.
00:18But it doesn't always happen, and scientists might finally know why.
00:21A new study published in the journal Nature Structure and Molecular Biology
00:24outlines how when cells divide too many times, and telomeres get too short to provide protection,
00:29cells enter a phase which the researchers call cellular senescence.
00:33It's something they say is a zombie-like cell state, because they're both resistant to death and continue to grow
00:38in number as we age.
00:39But while they are good at preventing catastrophic illnesses like cancer, they actually make one more susceptible to other illnesses.
00:45And they can also promote tumor growth once it has occurred by increasing inflammation.
00:49This is a new frontier in genetic research, giving experts a better understanding of the damage of cell division.
00:55Hopefully one day, possibly finding therapies to protect telomeres from damage,
00:59and preventing zombie cells from ever accruing in the first place.
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