See the following:
Shay JW, Wright WE, Werbin H (1993): Loss of telomeric DNA during aging
may predispose cells to cancer (review). International Journal Of
Oncology 3:559-563.
Shay JW, Wright WE, Werbin H (1993): Toward a molecular understanding
of human breast cancer - a hypothesis. Breast Cancer Research And
Treatment 25:83-94.
Martin GR, Danner DB, Holbrook NJ (1993): Aging - causes and defenses.
Annual Review Of Medicine 44:419-429. Recent studies have shown that
chromosomes shorten as cells divide and become senescent. Also,
deletions in mitochondrial DNA increase markedly with advancing age,
presumably secondary to damage from oxygen radicals. Since host
defenses against environmental factors also become attenuated, the
molecular damage associated with aging may increasingly perturb normal
homeostasis and increase the susceptibility to disease and disability.
Such age-associated dysfunctions can be targeted and interrupted.
Jim "I refuse to have a signature" Cummins
School of Veterinary Studies
Murdoch University
Western Australia 6150 Tel +61-9-360 2668 Fax +61-9-310 4144
E-mail cummins at possum.murdoch.edu.au
