# Telomere Length Measurements: Strengths and Limitations

> **NIH NIH U01** · RBHS-NEW JERSEY MEDICAL SCHOOL · 2020 · $234,000

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Converging lines of evidence suggest that telomere biology plays a central role in the
pathogenesis of cancer and cardiovascular disease, the two leading killers in the USA. Telomere
length (TL) is heritable, but environmental exposures influence TL dynamics, i.e., TL and its age-
dependent shortening. These findings bring into sharp focus the opportunities and challenges
facing population-based telomere research. High throughput TL measurements and TL
imputations from whole genome sequencing have opened up possibilities that once seemed
unattainable in population research. However, questions have been raised regarding the
indiscriminate reliance on such modalities and their shortcomings compared to labor-intensive
techniques of TL measurements used in small populations and specialized clinical settings. RFA-
AG-19-023 and a companion RFA-AG-022 have called for developing standards of TL
measurements in epidemiological research. This U01 proposal responds to the first RFA. Its Aims
are two-tiered: Aims 1 and 2 (the proposal’s first arm) will compare the abilities of two TL
measurements (Southern blotting of the terminal restriction fragments and qPCR-based analysis)
to capture elements of TL dynamics and TL-related outcomes in two longitudinal studies. Aims 3-
5 (the proposal’s second arm) address the standardization and collaborative protocols that meet
the goals and central mission of the Telomere Research Network (TRN) established by RFA-AG-
19-023. If reliable TL measurements predicting disease can be identified or developed, they might
become a component of the individual’s biogenetic health profile, envisioned to drive personalized
medicine in the future.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10025561
- **Project number:** 5U01AG066529-02
- **Recipient organization:** RBHS-NEW JERSEY MEDICAL SCHOOL
- **Principal Investigator:** ABRAHAM AVIV
- **Activity code:** U01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $234,000
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-09-30 → 2022-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10025561

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10025561, Telomere Length Measurements: Strengths and Limitations (5U01AG066529-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10025561. Licensed CC0.

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