Geron Corporation

Sharon Wong

Michael R Kozlowski

Nam Woo Kim

Karen R Prowse

Sy-Shi Wang

Richard Allsopp

Richard Allsop

Methods and compositions for the measurement of telomere length have application in medical diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic procedures. The methods for measuring telomere length include primer extension-based methods and probe-based methods. The primer extension methods involve elongation of telomeric, linker, and/or subtelomeric based primers under conditions such that the telomere serves as a template for primer extension and that the resultant primer extension products can be compared to standards of known length to provide a measure of telomere length. The probe based methods allow for telomere length measurements using DNA from lysed or whole cells and involve hybridizing an excess of probe to all telomeric repeat sequences in the telomere, measuring the amount of bound probe, and correlating the amount of bound probe measured with telomere length.

Methods for measuring telomere length

Methods are provided for the determination of telomere length. These methods can be used for diagnosis of cancer and the staging of cancer, and diagnosis of senecesence in cells. Also, the instant methods can be used to determine stages of diseases such as atherosclerosis or HIV infection, and can be used to diagnose infertility.

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

Sharon Wong