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Telomeres shorten with cell division and telomerase helps counteract this shortening through controlled telomeric repeat addition, which is often dysregulated in cancer. This review evaluates TL and TA in GI cancer pathogenesis and considers their diagnostic, prognostic, and predictive value, including therapeutic implications of targeting telomerase, integrating evidence to clarify telomere dynamics in tumor initiation and progression.",{"@graph":14,"@context":73},[15,34,56],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/","Research & Report",3,{"item":32,"name":10,"@type":21,"position":33},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/telomere-length-and-telomerase-activity-as-potential-biomarkers-for-gastrointestinal-cancer-review/329152/",4,{"url":32,"name":10,"@type":35,"image":36,"author":41,"headline":10,"publisher":44,"fileFormat":47,"inLanguage":8,"description":12,"dateModified":48,"datePublished":49,"encodingFormat":47,"isAccessibleForFree":50,"interactionStatistic":51},"DigitalDocument",{"url":37,"@type":38,"width":39,"height":40},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/telomere-length-and-telomerase-activity-as-potential-biomarkers-for-gastrointestinal-cancer-review/329152.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":42,"@type":43},"River Wang","Person",{"url":19,"name":45,"@type":46},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-11-03","2026-09-21",true,{"@type":52,"interactionType":53,"userInteractionCount":55},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":54},"ViewAction",7,{"@type":57,"mainEntity":58},"FAQPage",[59,65,69],{"name":60,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":62},"Why are telomere length and telomerase activity considered for gastrointestinal cancer biomarkers?","Question",{"text":63,"@type":64},"Telomere length shortens with cell division, contributing to cellular aging, while telomerase can counteract this by adding telomeric repeats. In many cancers, telomerase regulation becomes dysregulated, making TL and TA measurable indicators linked to GI tumor development and progression.","Answer",{"name":66,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":67},"What clinical needs does the review emphasize for gastrointestinal cancers?",{"text":68,"@type":64},"It stresses that, even with advancements in treatment and early detection, many patients still have poor outcomes. This creates a critical need for new biomarkers and therapeutic targets to improve early diagnosis and monitoring.",{"name":70,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":71},"How does targeting telomerase relate to therapeutic strategies in this review?",{"text":72,"@type":64},"The review discusses therapeutic implications of targeting telomerase by leveraging its role in maintaining telomere dynamics. By integrating findings across studies, it aims to clarify how telomerase-focused approaches could refine GI cancer management.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":32,"og:type":75,"og:title":10,"og:site_name":45,"og:description":12},"article",{"robots":77,"canonical":32},"index,follow",{"doc_id":79,"site_id":7},329152,1790176768,{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":83},"success",[84,88,92,96,101,106,110,114,119,122,126],{"id":22,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":85,"show_sort_weight":86,"slug":87},"Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":26,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":89,"show_sort_weight":90,"slug":91},"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":33,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":93,"show_sort_weight":94,"slug":95},"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":97,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":98,"show_sort_weight":99,"slug":100},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":102,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":103,"show_sort_weight":104,"slug":105},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":55,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":107,"show_sort_weight":108,"slug":109},"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":111,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":29,"show_sort_weight":112,"slug":113},8,30,"research-report",{"id":115,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":116,"show_sort_weight":117,"slug":118},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":117,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":120,"show_sort_weight":117,"slug":121},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":123,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":124,"show_sort_weight":123,"slug":125},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":127,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":128,"show_sort_weight":97,"slug":129},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":131},{"doc_id":79,"user_id":132,"nickname":42,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":111,"category_name":29,"doc_title":10,"doc_description":12,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":55,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":22,"is_downloadable":22,"audit_status":22,"page_count":139,"language":140,"language_code":8,"site_id":7,"html_lang":8,"table_of_contents":141,"faqs":142,"seo_title":143,"seo_description":12,"update_tm":144,"read_time":145,"preview_page_count":4},1099514067438,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/avatar/100002539ee87300030?x-image-process=image/resize,m_fixed,w_180,h_180&k=1780474512215547542","cancers   \nReview  \nTelomere Length and Telomerase Activity as Potential Biomarkers for Gastrointestinal Cancer  \nChristina Loukopoulou 1, Taxiarchis Nikolouzakis 1, Ioannis Koliarakis 1, Elena Vakonaki 2 and John Tsiaoussis 1, *  \nCitation: Loukopoulou, C.;  \nNikolouzakis, T.; Koliarakis, I.; Vakonaki, E.; Tsiaoussis, J. Telomere Length and Telomerase Activity as Potential Biomarkers for Gastrointestinal Cancer. Cancers 2024, 16, 3370. [https://doi.org/10.3390/](https://doi.org/10.3390/)[ ](https://doi.org/10.3390/)cancers16193370  \nAcademic Editor: David Wong  \nReceived: 13 August 2024  \nRevised: 28 September 2024  \nAccepted: 29 September 2024  \nPublished: 1 October 2024  \nCopyright: © 2024 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license ([https://](https://)[ ](https://)[creativecommons.org/licenses/by/](creativecommons.org/licenses/by/)[ ](creativecommons.org/licenses/by/)[4.0/](4.0/)) .  \n1 Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of Crete, 71003 Heraklion, Greece; [cloukopo@exseed.ed.ac.uk](cloukopo@exseed.ed.ac.uk) (C.L.); [medp2011836@med.uoc.gr](medp2011836@med.uoc.gr) (T.N.); [medp2011931@med.uoc.gr](medp2011931@med.uoc.gr) (I.K.)  \n2 Department of Forensic Sciences and Toxicology, School of Medicine, University of Crete, 71003 Heraklion, Greece; [evakonaki@med.uoc.gr](evakonaki@med.uoc.gr)  \n* Correspondence: [tsiaoussis@uoc.gr](tsiaoussis@uoc.gr); Tel.: +30-2810-394716  \nSimple Summary: Cancer affects millions worldwide, with gastrointestinal cancers being notably common. This review explores the potential of telomeres and telomerase as biomarkers for diagnosing and predicting these cancers. Telomeres are protective caps at chromosome ends that shorten with cell division, while telomerase helps extend them. Changes in these markers could indicate cancer risk and progression. Despite efforts to prevent cancer through lifestyle changes, gastrointestinal cancers such as colorectal and gastric cancer remain prevalent. Current detection methods like endoscopy are invasive, driving interest in non-invasive alternatives. By consolidating research on telomere length and telomerase activity, this review aims to highlight how these biomarkers could enhance early diagnosis and monitoring. Understanding these mechanisms better could lead to improved diagnostic tools and therapeutic strategies, potentially refining how gastrointestinal cancers are managed and improving patient outcomes.  \nAbstract: Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers, such as colorectal and gastric cancers, pose significant global health challenges due to their high rates of incidence and mortality. Even with advancements in treatment and early detection, many patients still face poor outcomes, highlighting the critical need for new biomarkers and therapeutic targets. Telomere length (TL) and telomerase activity (TA) have gained attention in this context. Telomeres, protective nucleotide sequences at chromosome ends, shorten with each cell division, leading to cellular aging. Telomerase, a ribonucleoprotein enzyme, counteracts this shortening by adding telomeric repeats, a process tightly regulated in normal cells but often dysregulated in cancer. This review critically evaluates the role of TL and TA in the pathogenesis of GI cancers, examining their potential as diagnostic, prognostic, and predictive biomarkers. It explores how alterations in telomere biology contribute to the initiation and progression of GI tumorsand assesses the therapeutic implications of targeting telomerase. By integrating findings from diverse studies, this review aims to elucidate the intricate relationship between telomere dynamicsand gastrointestinal carcinogenesis, offering insights into how TL and TA could be leveraged to enhance the early detection, treatment, and prognosis of GI cancers.  \nKeywords: telomeres; telomere length; telomerase","cbCailbrVlgcKdyC","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCailbrVlgcKdyC","pdf",622467,18,"English","# Introduction\n# Telomere biology in gastrointestinal cancer\n# Telomere length as a biomarker\n# Telomerase activity as a biomarker\n# Diagnostic, prognostic, and predictive potential\n# Therapeutic implications and targeting telomerase","[{\"question\":\"Why are telomere length and telomerase activity considered for gastrointestinal cancer biomarkers?\",\"answer\":\"Telomere length shortens with cell division, contributing to cellular aging, while telomerase can counteract this by adding telomeric repeats. In many cancers, telomerase regulation becomes dysregulated, making TL and TA measurable indicators linked to GI tumor development and progression.\"},{\"question\":\"What clinical needs does the review emphasize for gastrointestinal cancers?\",\"answer\":\"It stresses that, even with advancements in treatment and early detection, many patients still have poor outcomes. This creates a critical need for new biomarkers and therapeutic targets to improve early diagnosis and monitoring.\"},{\"question\":\"How does targeting telomerase relate to therapeutic strategies in this review?\",\"answer\":\"The review discusses therapeutic implications of targeting telomerase by leveraging its role in maintaining telomere dynamics. By integrating findings across studies, it aims to clarify how telomerase-focused approaches could refine GI cancer management.\"}]","Telomere Length and Telomerase Activity as Potential Biomarkers for Gastrointestinal Cancer - review | PDF",1789982771,45]