Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39858038›Full record

ReviewCancers2025

A Review of Telomere Attrition in Cancer and Aging: Current Molecular Insights and Future Therapeutic Approaches.

Mina Iskandar, Miguel Xiao Barbero, Muhamed Jaber, Roy Chen, Romulo Gomez-Guevara, Edwin Cruz, Sandy Westerheide

Abstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Cancers, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

9 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Review
  3. Article
  4. Review
  5. Review
  6. Article
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  8. Review
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Mina IskandarDepartment of Molecular Biosciences, University of South Florida, 4202 East Fowler Avenue, ISA2015, Tampa, FL 33620, USA.ORCID 0009-0000-6403-9367
Miguel Xiao BarberoDepartment of Molecular Biosciences, University of South Florida, 4202 East Fowler Avenue, ISA2015, Tampa, FL 33620, USA.ORCID 0009-0001-2813-9333
Muhamed JaberDepartment of Molecular Biosciences, University of South Florida, 4202 East Fowler Avenue, ISA2015, Tampa, FL 33620, USA.
Roy ChenDepartment of Molecular Biosciences, University of South Florida, 4202 East Fowler Avenue, ISA2015, Tampa, FL 33620, USA.ORCID 0009-0000-6708-8287
Romulo Gomez-GuevaraDepartment of Molecular Biosciences, University of South Florida, 4202 East Fowler Avenue, ISA2015, Tampa, FL 33620, USA.
Edwin CruzDepartment of Molecular Biosciences, University of South Florida, 4202 East Fowler Avenue, ISA2015, Tampa, FL 33620, USA.
Sandy WesterheideDepartment of Molecular Biosciences, University of South Florida, 4202 East Fowler Avenue, ISA2015, Tampa, FL 33620, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND/

objectivesAs cells divide, telomeres shorten through a phenomenon known as telomere attrition, which leads to unavoidable senescence of cells. Unprotected DNA exponentially increases the odds of mutations, which can evolve into premature aging disorders and tumorigenesis. There has been growing academic and clinical interest in exploring this duality and developing optimal therapeutic strategies to combat telomere attrition in aging and cellular immortality in cancer. The purpose of this review is to provide an updated overview of telomere biology and therapeutic tactics to address aging and cancer.

methodsWe used the Rayyan platform to review the PubMed database and examined the ClinicalTrial.gov registry to gain insight into clinical trials and their results.

resultsCancer cells activate telomerase or utilize alternative lengthening of telomeres to escape telomere shortening, leading to near immortality. Contrarily, normal cells experience telomeric erosion, contributing to premature aging disorders, such as Werner syndrome and Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria, and (2) aging-related diseases, such as neurodegenerative and cardiovascular diseases.

conclusionsThe literature presents several promising therapeutic approaches to potentially balance telomere maintenance in aging and shortening in cancer. This review highlights gaps in knowledge and points to the potential of these optimal interventions in preclinical and clinical studies to inform future research in cancer and aging.

Indexed as

age-related diseasesagingalternative lengthening of telomerebiomarkerscancerpremature aging disorderstelomerase reactivationtelomere attritiontherapeutics

Identifiers

PMID39858038
PMCPMC11764024

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.