Melanoma risk found to have genetic determinant
Friday, September 19, 2014 - 01:02
in Health & Medicine
Longer telomeres increase the risk of melanoma, researchers report, suggesting that melanoma risk has a genetic determinant. Telomeres are a part of the genome that function like the plastic caps of your shoelaces, which prevent the laces from fraying. Instead they protect the ends of chromosomes from environmental damage, such as exposure to smoke or sunlight, which can harm them.