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Review
. 2008 Jan-Feb;129(1-2):60-6.
doi: 10.1016/j.mad.2007.11.005. Epub 2007 Dec 8.

Telomere and adaptive immunity

Nan-ping Weng  1
Affiliations
Review

Telomere and adaptive immunity

Nan-ping Weng. Mech Ageing Dev. 2008 Jan-Feb.

Abstract

The adaptive immune response relies on the ability of lymphocytes to undergo periodic massive expansion. It is an enigma how lymphocytes are able to undergo this seemingly unlimited number of cell divisions. Telomeres and telomerase play a critical role in regulation of the replicative lifespan of cells, providing a potential mechanism which lymphocytes may employ. Here I will review the recent progress of the role of telomeres and telomerase in lymphocyte differentiation, function, and aging.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Model of telomere attrition in T and B cells with age. Loss of telomere length is rapid during the first decade of life and decreases during most of adult life. At advanced age, the rate of telomere shortening may increase. The graph projects the telomere attrition in CD4, CD8, and B cells in vivo based on the cross-sectional analysis of telomere length in lymphocytes with age. Whether significantly shortened telomeres in advanced age cause declined function of lymphocytes will need further study.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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