Telomerase activity
LYSED
Nuclear telomerase activity in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was measured using the Telomerase Repeated Activation Protocol (TRAP) – quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assay. Within 24 h of collection, whole blood was centrifuged to isolate PBMCs, which were cryopreserved at − 80 C. The cells were subsequently thawed, lysed, and analysed using a validated TRAP-qPCR protocol (Supplementary Tables 