A brief summary of the articles appearing in this issue of biological psychiatry

摘要

Telomeres are protective caps on the ends of chromosomes, shortening each time a cell divides, and thereby related to the age of the cell. Several studies have shown that telomeres shorten with chronic somatic illness, and recent work suggests that a similar process might occur with some kinds of psychiatric disorders and psychosocial stressors. Here, Price et al, (pages 15-23) review emerging work suggesting a robust, and perhaps dose-dependent, association between reduced telomere length and early-life stress. These findings highlight the complex relationships between experience, physical and psychiatric illness, and aging.