The Role of Telomeres and Telomerase in Cellular Aging and Disease: Mechanisms, Implications, and Therapeutic Interventions

Crossmark

Main Article Content


Abstract

Telomeres, the protective caps at the ends of chromosomes, play a crucial role in maintaining genomic stability. This review explores the structure and function of telomeres, the mechanisms of telomere shortening, and the role of telomerase in counteracting this process. Telomere shortening is a natural consequence of cell division and is associated with cellular aging, senescence, and apoptosis. The review delves into the molecular biology of telomeres, highlighting the significance of the shelterin complex in protecting telomeres from degradation and fusion. It also discusses the genetic and epigenetic factors influencing telomere length, the impact of oxidative stress and inflammation on telomere attrition, and potential interventions to preserve telomere length. The review concludes with recommendations for lifestyle changes and therapeutic strategies to mitigate telomere shortening and promote healthy aging.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Scopus Citation Data

Data source Crossref
0
citations
Check Secondary Documents in Scopus
Open this article in Scopus, then check the Secondary documents tab. Use Manual Citation Fallback only for counts you have verified manually.
Open in Scopus
Similar Scopus Articles
Scopus
  1. Esmaeelpour E. (2027)
    The role of semantic transparency in lexical processing of head-first endocentric compounds in Persian
    Language Related Research, 17(4), 231-261
  2. Mirzahosseini M. (2027)
    A Review of Constitutive Modeling of Unsaturated Soils
    Iranian Journal of Geophysics, 20(3), 81-128
  3. Asl S.B. (2027)
    Uncertainty estimation in earthquake magnitude determination using high-rate GPS data with Bootstrap method
    Iranian Journal of Geophysics, 20(3), 187-203

Article Details

How to Cite
Christopher, G., & Goje, L. J. (2025). The Role of Telomeres and Telomerase in Cellular Aging and Disease: Mechanisms, Implications, and Therapeutic Interventions. African Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Research, 2(2), 95-104. https://doi.org/10.58578/ajbmbr.v2i2.5151

References

Aunan, G.M., Mackenzie, K.L. (2016). New prospect for targeting telomerase beyond telomere. Nat Rev Cancer 16(8):508-24.
Blackburn, E. H. (2001). Switching and signaling at the telomere. Cell 106 (6), 661–673.
Blackburn, E. H., Epel, E. S., and Lin, J. (2015a). Human telomere biology: a contributory and interactive factor in aging, disease risks, and protection. Sci. (1979) 350 (6265), 1193–1198.
Cassidy, A., De Vivo, I., Liu, Y., Han, J., Prescott, J., Hunter, D. J., et al (2010). Associations between diet, lifestyle factors, and telomere length in women. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 91(5), 1273-1280.
Cawthon, R.M., Smith, K.R., and O’Brien E., (2003). Association between telomere length in blood and mortality in people aged 60 years or older. Lancet. 361:393–395.
Chang, X., Dorajoo, R., Sun, Y., Wang, L., Ong, C. N., Liu, J., et al. (2020). Effect of plasma polyunsaturated fatty acid levels on leukocyte telomere lengths in the Singaporean Chinese population. Nutr. J. 19 (1), 119.
D’Adda di Fagagna, F., Reaper, P. M., Clay-Farrace, L., Fiegler, H., Carr, P., Von Zglinicki, T., et al (2003) A DNA damage checkpoint response in telomere-initiated senescence. Nature 426, 194–198.
De Lange, T. (2005). The protein complex that shapes and safeguards human telomeres. Genes Dev. 19, 2100–2110
De Lange, T. (2018). Shelterin-mediated telomere protection. Annu. Rev. Genet. 52 (1),223–247.
Deo, P., Dhillon, V.S., Lim, W. M., Jaunay, E.L., Donnellan., Peake., et al (2020). Advanced glycation end-products accelerate telomere attrition and increase proinflammatory mediators in human WIL2-NS cells. Mutagenesis 35 (3), 291–297.
El-Chemaly, S., Cheung., Kotliarov, Y., O’Brien, K.J., Gahl, W.A., Chen, J., et al. (2018). The immunome in two inherited forms of pulmonary fibrosis. Front. Immunol. 9:2018. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2018
Epel, E. S., Blackburn, E. H., Lin, J., Dhabhar, F. S., Adler, N. E., Morrow, J. D., et al (2004). Accelerated telomere shortening in response to life stress. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 101(49), 17312-17315.
Farzaneh-Far R., Cawthon RM., and Na B, (2008). Prognostic value of leukocyte telomere length in patients with stable coronary artery disease: data from the Heart and Soul Study. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 28:1379–1384.
Greider, C. W and Blackburn, E. H. (1985). Identification of a specific telomere terminal transferase activity in tetrahymena extracts. Cell 43 (2), 405–413.
Harley, C. B., Futcher, A. B., and Greider, C. W. (1990). Telomeres shorten during ageing of human fibroblasts. Nature 345 (6274), 458–460.
Idrees, M., Kumar, V., Khan, A. M., Joo, M. D., Lee, K. W., Sohn, S. H., et al. (2023). Cycloastragenol activation of telomerase improves β-Klotho protein level and attenuates age-related malfunctioning in ovarian tissues. Mech. Ageing Dev. 209, 111756.
Jaskelioff M, Muller FL, Paik JH, Thomas E, Jiang S, Adams A, et al. (2011). Telomerase reactivation reverse tissue degeneration in aged-telomerase deficient mice. Nature;469;102-1206
Johnson, F. B., Marciniak, R. A., McVey, M., Stewart, S. A., & Hahn, W. C. (2010). Imetelstat (GRN163L)—telomerase-based cancer therapy. Recent Results in Cancer Research, 184, 221-234.
Jurk, D., Wilson, C., Passos, J. F., Oakley, F., Correia-Melo, C., Greaves, L., et al. (2014). Chronic inflammation induces telomere dysfunction and accelerates ageing in mice. Nat. Commun. 5 (1), 4172.
Karlseder, J., Broccoli, D., Dai, Y., Hardy, S., and de Lange, T. (1999). p53-and ATMdependent apoptosis induced by telomeres lacking TRF2. Sci. (1979) 283 (5406), 1321–1325.
LaRocca, T. J., Seals, D. R., & Pierce, G. L. (2010). Leukocyte telomere length is preserved with aging in endurance exercise-trained adults and related to maximal aerobic capacity. Mechanisms of ageing and development, 131(2), 165-167.
Levy MZ., Allsopp RC., Futcher AB., Greider CW., Harley CB., (1992). Telomere end-replication problem and cell aging. J Mol Biol.225:951-960.
Rodríguez-Rodero, S., Fernández-Morera, J. L., Menéndez-Torre, E., Calvanese, V., Fernández, A. F., Fraga, M. F. (2011). Aging Genetics and Aging. Aging Dis. 2(3): 186–195.
Salvador, L., Singaravelu, G., Harley, C. B., Flom, P., Suram, A., and Raffaele, J. M. (2016). A natural product telomerase activator lengthens telomeres in humans: a randomized, double blind, and placebo-controlled study. Rejuvenation Res. 19 (6), 478–484.
Singh, K., Saso, K., and Saso, L. (2019). Oxidative stress: role and response of short guanine tracts at genomic locations. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 20 (17), 4258. doi:10.3390/ ijms20174258
Wang, F., Podell, E. R., Zaug, A. J., Yang, Y., Baciu, P., Cech, T. R. et al (2007) The POT1−TPP1 telomere complex is a telomerase processivity factor. Nature 445, 506–510 12
Wu XM, Tang WR, Luo Y. [Alt – alternative lengthening of telomere]. Yi Chuan 2009;31(12):1185-91
Zhang, J., Rane, G., Dai, X., Shanmugam, M. K., Arfuso, F., Samy, R. P., et al. (2016). Ageing and the telomere connection: An intimate relationship with inflammation. Ageing Research Reviews, 25, 55-69.

Explore Our Journals
Find the most suitable journal for your research. If this journal does not fully align with the scope of your manuscript, we invite you to explore our wider portfolio of journals covering diverse fields of study. Please select one of the journals below to identify the most appropriate publication platform for your work.