If you were to search for the genetic mutation behind this mouse's disease, you wouldn't find it; there isn't one. These mice develop disease only because their telomeres are short, and having telomerase doesn't lengthen them right away.

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We know it only takes one critically short telomere to make a cell die, so it's clear that the more really short telomeres a person has the faster problems will develop.

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Normal levels of telomerase didn't lengthen short telomeres in our mice, so the longer the telomeres are to start with, the longer transplanted stem cells will be able to divide and the more likely the transplant is to succeed.

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We thought there might be some relationship between telomerase, telomere length and the survival of stem cells, but it was really exciting to see it.

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