An enzyme involved in cancer and aging gets a close-up

Understanding what telomerase looks like could guide therapies for cancer, other illnesses

telomerase

HANDY ADD  Telomerase (bottom structure), a complex of proteins and RNA, adds DNA to telomeres (green caps), the ends of chromosomes (blue X’s). The telomeres shorten when cells divide.

Janet Iwasa

Like a genetic handyman, an elusive enzyme deep inside certain cells repairs the tips of chromosomes, which fray as cells divide.