Telomerase

What is it?

A biological enzyme marketed in some anti-aging serums on the theory that preserving telomere length could slow visible skin aging -- a real cellular mechanism, but one with no controlled topical cosmetic efficacy trial behind it.

What does it do?

According to PubMed, a review of telomerase biology notes that oxidative stress is known to shorten telomeres, and speculates that topical, transdermal or systemic antioxidant administration "may be beneficial" at preserving telomere length -- a real but explicitly speculative mechanistic link, not a demonstrated topical cosmetic efficacy claim. The review is about telomerase regulation generally (regenerative medicine, oncology), not a trial of a topical telomerase-containing product.

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