The Karlseder Lab focuses on understanding the functions of mammalian and nematode telomeres. Telomeres, the protein-DNA complexes at the ends of linear chromosomes, are crucial in DNA replication, tumor suppression, and aging. Every time a primary human cell divides its telomeres get shorter, until critically short telomeres lead to terminal cell cycle arrest. We believe that a better understanding of this telomere shortening process will lead to an ability to influence the aging process, and as a result to the restriction of cancer cell growth. Currently, we work on several aspects of telomere structure and function:
December 5, 2016 – The Goldilocks effect in aging research [click to view]
June 24, 2015 – Targeting telomeres, the timekeepers of cells, could improve chemotherapy [click to view]
January 13, 2014 – Salk scientists identify factors that trigger ALT-ernative cancer cell growth [click to view]
July 11, 2013 – Critical pathway in cell cycle may lead to cancer development [click to view]
December 20, 2012 – Chromosome “anchors” organize DNA during cell division [click to view]
March 21, 2012 – Salk scientists open new window into how cancers override cellular growth controls [click to view]
March 11, 2012 – Sending out an SOS: How telomeres incriminate cells that can’t divide [click to view]
April 21, 2011 – A new ending to an old “tail” [click to view]