Telomere-encoding synthetic DNA nanocircles, and their use for the elongation of telomere repeats

Patent Number: 7,482,332

Telomeres are repeats of the TTAGGG sequence on the ends of chromosomes that progressively get shorter with each cell division, causing eventual cell senescence.  The enzyme telomerase is important in cells that need to proliferate longer, for example memory T cells, or stem cells.  It is a dream of many to induce telomerase activity in cells so as to be able to increase cell viability.  For example, patent #7,150,989 teaches the transfection of telomerase to achieve immortal neural progenitor cells.  If you can believe this, there are actually companies selling neutraceuticals that claim to activate telomerase systemically !  What a good way to activate a pre-malignant tumor ?!?

The current patent teaches a very interesting approach to preventing telomere shortening.  The patent covers the use of nano-circles encoding telomeric repeat sequences such as 5'-CCCTAA-3', 5'-CCCUAA-3', 5'-TTAGGG-3', and 5'-UUAGGG-3'.  The idea being that if you can get these nanocircles into the cell, then they will act as templates for polymerases to make or to extend new telomere sequences on an existing DNA or RNA molecule.  The inventors are stating that these nanocircles may be useful for "treating aging" as an alternative to transfection with the enzyme telomerase. 

 The examples in the patent include demonstration of telomere elongation in KG1a cells and HEK 293.  Additionally, several interesting prophetic examples are provided.  This patent seems really exciting since you don't need to actually transfect cells with an enzyme, thus the effect may be transient and may alleviate certain fears of cancer formation.

View this patent on the USPTO website.