Long Telomeres and Benign Tumors: The Genetics of Lipoma
The fatty tissue under the skin is not just an energy store but a living organ whose cells divide throughout life. Sometimes one of those cells starts dividing a little more actively than its neighbors and forms a lipoma, a soft little lump that doctors call the most common benign tumor. It is removed quickly, but why some people develop lipomas by the dozen while others never get a single one remained a mystery.