Telomeres, aging and reproduction

Abstract

Purpose of reviewWomen's fertility decay starts at the mid 30 s. However, the current delay of childbearing leads to ovarian aging and the need of assisted reproduction technologies (ART). Telomere biology is one of the main pathways involved in organismal aging. Thus, this review will focus on the knowledge acquired during the last 2 years about the telomere pathway and its influence on female fertility and the consequences for the newborn.Recent findingsNew research on telomere biology reaffirms the relationship of telomere attrition and female infertility. Shorter maternal telomeres, which could be aggravated by external factors, underly premature ovarian aging and other complications including preeclampsia, preterm birth and idiopathic pregnancy loss. Finally, the telomere length of the fetus or the newborn is also affected by external factors, such as stress and nutrition.SummaryRecent evidence shows that telomeres are implicated in most processes related to female fertility, embryo development and the newborn's health. Thus, telomere length and telomerase activity may be good biomarkers for early detection of ovarian and pregnancy failures, opening the possibility to use telomere therapies to try to solve the infertility situation.

Resveratrol and SIRT1: Antiaging Cornerstones for Oocytes?

“…A reflection of aging processes is the final sequences of chromosomes, called telomeres. They are mainly responsible for chromosomes’ continued integrity and stability [ 53 , 54 ]. However, with each division, telomeres become shorter due to the shortening of descendant chromosomes within the telomeres and telomerase deficiency, until eventually the coding part of chromosomes is damaged [ 55 ].…”

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“…Partial subunit expression defects of the shelterin complex of CD4 + T cells in patients with BD suggest abnormal telomere status, loss of the original telomere protection of chromosomes, vulnerability to DNA damage and other attacks, and acceleration of cell aging and apoptosis ( 34 ). NF-kB signaling and exposure to inflammatory molecules, such as IL-6 or TNF, can regulate telomere length and activity ( 35 ). Studies have shown that telomere shortening and abnormal telomerase activity are closely related to autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus ( 36 – 39 ).…”

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“…In addition, the telomere theory is one of the latest mechanisms to explain female reproductive aging ( 147 ).Telomeres are nucleoprotein complexes at the end of chromosomes, maintaining the integrity of chromosomes and inhibit DNA damage reactions at the free end of chromosomes ( 148 ). It is widely recognized that telomeres are susceptible to oxidative damage, and OS markers have been shown to exhibit a negative correlation with telomere length ( 149 ).…”