[The role of telomeres in aging-related disease].

Telomeres are specialized DNA structures, protecting the ends of linear chromosomes. The association between telomeres and cellular aging is well-established, and it has been shown that there is a negative correlation between telomere length and chronological age for many types of human tissue. On the other hand, the association between telomere length and mortality is poor. Nevertheless, it has been suggested that telomeres may play a role in the development of many aging-related diseases. This has led to attempts to develop telomere-elongating treatment.