Life Length, a leading healthcare group headquarted in Spain, has appointed Dubai-based Eastern Biotech as its exclusive partner in the GCC region to launch its novel diagnostic product -
telomere testing - in the Gulf region.

Telomeres are the ends of chromosomes, which have an essential role in protecting their integrity in the process of cellular replication. One common analogy is that they are like the plastic caps at the end of shoelaces which keep the laces from unraveling, said a statement from Life Length.

Telomeres are formed by repeats of a concrete, repetitive DNA sequence, along with associated proteins.

The function of telomeres is to protect chromosome ends from chromosome fusions and degradation, therefore, ensuring the proper functionality and viability of cells. Thus, telomere length serves as the biomarker of the cell replicative capacity, which defines the biological age of the individual, said the statement.

Telomere length is increasingly being recognised as an independent variable in predicting disease. A study of more than 43,000 subjects reported in the British Medical Journal concluded that telomere length is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease.

A large meta-analysis showed significant association between shortened telomere length and Type 2 diabetes. Other studies are showing that the finding of short telomeres may be associated with the aggressiveness of certain cancers.

The field of telomere biology has grown dramatically since the award of the 2009 Nobel Prize for the discovery of telomerase.

Clinicians today are increasingly becoming interested in incorporating telomere testing into their practices. This is largely driven by two factors: a growing understanding of the role telomeres play in personalized medicine; and increasing consumer demand for integrative treatment that can slow the aging process.

Most experts are studying whether Telomeres are the key to aging? And also has Telomere analysis technology got the potential to estimate true biological age and help in early intervention of lifestyle disorders.   

Dr Faruq Badiuddin, the managing director of Eastern Biotech & life sciences said: "The development of reliable commercial testing now allows for the measurement of individual telomere lengths and quantification of the number of critically short telomeres, both key determinants in overall cellular health."

"Measurement of this novel biomarker holds promise for improving early disease identification, risk assessment, and treatment of lifestyle disorders such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and some cancers," he noted.

According to him, the advance bookings for the test are underway and appointments will begin soon.

Stephen J. Matlin, the chief executive for Life Length, said: "Perhaps the greatest value of telomere testing is in obtaining serial measurements by incorporating it as part of an annual health status assessment."

"It is like a report card, letting both the physician and the patient know how well the total intervention and program is working. This requires two pieces of data - the number and per cent of critically short telomeres and the rate of telomere attrition," explained Matlin.

"Annual snapshots may also serve as powerful lifestyle behavior change motivators or as tools to enhance treatment adherence," he added.-TradeArabia News Service