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Telomeres, DNA–protein complexes that cap the ends of chromosomes and protect DNA from damage, are shortened in people with depressive symptoms or high levels of stress. These researchers examined the activity of telomerase, an enzyme that repairs telomeres, in the leukocytes of 20 patients with major depressive disorder before and after 8 weeks of sertraline treatment and in 18 healthy controls. (Several of the researchers have financial and patent interests in telomere biology.)
Pretreatment telomerase activity was elevated in patients compared with controls and was directly related to severity of depressive symptoms. In the 15 patients who completed sertraline treatment, the best antidepressant response was associated with the lowest telo…