LAHORE – The University of Health Sciences (UHS) organised a seminar titled “Telomere Biology and Gene Editing in Ageing and Hypertension: From Bench to Bedside” under the banner of the Discipline Specific Faculty Council (DSFC-II) here on Tuesday.
The event was organised by the Department of Biochemistry, UHS. Vice Chancellor Prof Dr. Ahsan Waheed Rathore chaired the session. Pro Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Nadia Naseem also attended.
Prof Ahsan Waheed Rathore and Prof Nadia Naseem emphasised the importance of innovation in both research and assessment methodologies in medical education. They underlined the need for developing a comprehensive and validated question bank to ensure fairness, reliability, and transparency in evaluating medical students’ learning outcomes and asked the faculty to actively participate.
The seminar focused on the rapidly advancing field of telomere biology and gene editing, exploring how these molecular mechanisms play a crucial role in human ageing and hypertension. Experts explained that telomeres—the protective caps at the ends of chromosomes—shorten with age and cellular stress, leading to DNA instability, cellular ageing, and increased risk of diseases like hypertension. Understanding this process, they noted, opens new avenues for predicting, preventing, and managing age-related disorders.
The speakers also discussed recent breakthroughs in biochemistry and molecular biology, particularly the application of CRISPR technology in repairing or modifying defective genes. Such gene editing tools, they said, could help rejuvenate ageing cells, enhance longevity, and potentially reverse certain age-related conditions in the future.
Key facilitators included Prof Dr Anila Jaleel, Head, Department of Biochemistry, Shalamar Medical and Dental College, Lahore; Prof Dr Hasan Raza, Shareef Medical and Dental College, Lahore; Prof Dr Farah Deeba, Head, Department of Biochemistry, Al-Aleem Medical College, Lahore; and Dr Imran Bajwa, Department of Biochemistry, Margalla College of Dentistry, Rawalpindi.
Topics discussed during the seminar included ‘Telomere Attrition and Gene Mutations: Predictors of Hypertension Beyond Lifestyle’; ‘Telomere Dynamics in Ageing and Longevity: Breakthroughs in Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Their Clinical Implications’, and ‘Rejuvenating with CRISPR: Gene Editing Approach to Combat Cellular Ageing’.
