Karlseder Lab

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:

• Interactions between the DNA damage machinery and telomeres
• Telomere processing and function during the cell cycle
• Changes in telomere length and chromatin structure
• G-rich and C-rich telomeric overhangs at chromosome ends
• Telomere localization in the nucleus

News Highlights

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]