Telomeres, telomerase, and cancer: mechanisms, biomarkers, and therapeutics
Abstract Telomeres and telomerase play crucial roles in the initiation and progression of cancer. As biomarkers, they aid in distinguishing benign from malignant tissues. Despite the promising therapeutic potential of targeting telomeres and telomerase for therapy, translating this concept from the...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2025-01-01
|
| Series: | Experimental Hematology & Oncology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40164-025-00597-9 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1832571968487948288 |
|---|---|
| author | Songting Shou Ayidana Maolan Di Zhang Xiaochen Jiang Fudong Liu Yi Li Xiyuan Zhang En Geer Zhenqing Pu Baojin Hua Qiujun Guo Xing Zhang Bo Pang |
| author_facet | Songting Shou Ayidana Maolan Di Zhang Xiaochen Jiang Fudong Liu Yi Li Xiyuan Zhang En Geer Zhenqing Pu Baojin Hua Qiujun Guo Xing Zhang Bo Pang |
| author_sort | Songting Shou |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Telomeres and telomerase play crucial roles in the initiation and progression of cancer. As biomarkers, they aid in distinguishing benign from malignant tissues. Despite the promising therapeutic potential of targeting telomeres and telomerase for therapy, translating this concept from the laboratory to the clinic remains challenging. Many candidate drugs remain in the experimental stage, with only a few advancing to clinical trials. This review explores the relationship between telomeres, telomerase, and cancer, synthesizing their roles as biomarkers and reviewing the outcomes of completed trials. We propose that changes in telomere length and telomerase activity can be used to stratify cancer stages. Furthermore, we suggest that differential expression of telomere and telomerase components at the subcellular level holds promise as a biomarker. From a therapeutic standpoint, combining telomerase-targeted therapies with drugs that mitigate the adverse effects of telomerase inhibition may offer a viable strategy. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-f33513682f8543b78187cf18c3aa4fea |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2162-3619 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Experimental Hematology & Oncology |
| spelling | doaj-art-f33513682f8543b78187cf18c3aa4fea2025-02-02T12:12:01ZengBMCExperimental Hematology & Oncology2162-36192025-01-0114114710.1186/s40164-025-00597-9Telomeres, telomerase, and cancer: mechanisms, biomarkers, and therapeuticsSongting Shou0Ayidana Maolan1Di Zhang2Xiaochen Jiang3Fudong Liu4Yi Li5Xiyuan Zhang6En Geer7Zhenqing Pu8Baojin Hua9Qiujun Guo10Xing Zhang11Bo Pang12Guang’anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical SciencesGuang’anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical SciencesGuang’anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical SciencesGuang’anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical SciencesGuang’anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical SciencesGuang’anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical SciencesGuang’anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical SciencesGuang’anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical SciencesGuang’anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical SciencesGuang’anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical SciencesGuang’anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical SciencesGuang’anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical SciencesGuang’anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical SciencesAbstract Telomeres and telomerase play crucial roles in the initiation and progression of cancer. As biomarkers, they aid in distinguishing benign from malignant tissues. Despite the promising therapeutic potential of targeting telomeres and telomerase for therapy, translating this concept from the laboratory to the clinic remains challenging. Many candidate drugs remain in the experimental stage, with only a few advancing to clinical trials. This review explores the relationship between telomeres, telomerase, and cancer, synthesizing their roles as biomarkers and reviewing the outcomes of completed trials. We propose that changes in telomere length and telomerase activity can be used to stratify cancer stages. Furthermore, we suggest that differential expression of telomere and telomerase components at the subcellular level holds promise as a biomarker. From a therapeutic standpoint, combining telomerase-targeted therapies with drugs that mitigate the adverse effects of telomerase inhibition may offer a viable strategy.https://doi.org/10.1186/s40164-025-00597-9TelomeresTelomere shorteningCancer |
| spellingShingle | Songting Shou Ayidana Maolan Di Zhang Xiaochen Jiang Fudong Liu Yi Li Xiyuan Zhang En Geer Zhenqing Pu Baojin Hua Qiujun Guo Xing Zhang Bo Pang Telomeres, telomerase, and cancer: mechanisms, biomarkers, and therapeutics Experimental Hematology & Oncology Telomeres Telomere shortening Cancer |
| title | Telomeres, telomerase, and cancer: mechanisms, biomarkers, and therapeutics |
| title_full | Telomeres, telomerase, and cancer: mechanisms, biomarkers, and therapeutics |
| title_fullStr | Telomeres, telomerase, and cancer: mechanisms, biomarkers, and therapeutics |
| title_full_unstemmed | Telomeres, telomerase, and cancer: mechanisms, biomarkers, and therapeutics |
| title_short | Telomeres, telomerase, and cancer: mechanisms, biomarkers, and therapeutics |
| title_sort | telomeres telomerase and cancer mechanisms biomarkers and therapeutics |
| topic | Telomeres Telomere shortening Cancer |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40164-025-00597-9 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT songtingshou telomerestelomeraseandcancermechanismsbiomarkersandtherapeutics AT ayidanamaolan telomerestelomeraseandcancermechanismsbiomarkersandtherapeutics AT dizhang telomerestelomeraseandcancermechanismsbiomarkersandtherapeutics AT xiaochenjiang telomerestelomeraseandcancermechanismsbiomarkersandtherapeutics AT fudongliu telomerestelomeraseandcancermechanismsbiomarkersandtherapeutics AT yili telomerestelomeraseandcancermechanismsbiomarkersandtherapeutics AT xiyuanzhang telomerestelomeraseandcancermechanismsbiomarkersandtherapeutics AT engeer telomerestelomeraseandcancermechanismsbiomarkersandtherapeutics AT zhenqingpu telomerestelomeraseandcancermechanismsbiomarkersandtherapeutics AT baojinhua telomerestelomeraseandcancermechanismsbiomarkersandtherapeutics AT qiujunguo telomerestelomeraseandcancermechanismsbiomarkersandtherapeutics AT xingzhang telomerestelomeraseandcancermechanismsbiomarkersandtherapeutics AT bopang telomerestelomeraseandcancermechanismsbiomarkersandtherapeutics |