Stress and telomere biology: a lifespan perspective

Abstract

In the past decade, the growing field of telomere science has opened exciting new avenues for understanding the cellular and molecular substrates of stress and stress-related aging processes over the lifespan. Shorter telomere length is associated with advancing chronological age and also increased disease morbidity and mortality. Emerging studies suggest that stress accelerates the erosion of telomeres from very early in life and possibly even influences the initial (newborn) setting of telomere length. In this review, we highlight recent empirical evidence linking stress and mental illnesses at various times across the lifespan with telomere erosion. We first present findings in the developmental programming of telomere biology linking prenatal stress to newborn and adult telomere length. We then present findings linking exposure to childhood trauma and to certain mental disorders with telomere shortening. Last, we review studies that characterize the relationship between related health-risk behaviors with telomere shortening over the lifespan, and how this process may further buffer the negative effects of stress on telomeres. A better understanding of the mechanisms that govern and regulate telomere biology throughout the lifespan may inform our understanding of etiology and the long-term consequences of stress and mental illnesses on aging processes in diverse populations and settings.

Keywords: Childhood stress; Depression; Fetal/developmental programming; Lifespan; Lifestyle; Mental health; Prenatal; Stress; Telomerase; Telomere length.

Figure 1. Schematic representation of lifespan influences on telomere length (biological/cellular age)

Horizontal arrows at the top and bottom of the figure illustrate the progression of biological aging in parallel to chronological aging. Boxes and arrows in the middle of the figure illustrate stress exposures at different points in the lifespan (pre-natal development, childhood, adulthood, and later life) that act to accelerate the pace of biological aging. Double-headed arrows for adult mental disorders and age-related diseases exposures indicate bidirectional influences between mental and physical health and cellular aging. The downward pointing arrow at the top of the figure indicates that healthy lifestyle factors may mitigate the deleterious effects of stress exposures on biological aging.