Telomeres and Telomerase

The past two decades have transformed telomere biology and telomerase research. Since the publication of Telomeres, Second Edition in 2006, there has been an exponential increase in publications in the field that reflects both the depth and breadth of discovery. In 2009, the award of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine to Elizabeth Blackburn, Carol Greider, and Jack Szostak recognized the pioneering work that first brought telomeres and telomerase to the forefront of modern biology and underscored the central importance of telomeres to genome stability, cellular aging, and cancer. In the years since, the pace of progress has only accelerated. Powerful new technologies, from single-molecule imaging to large-scale genomics, proteomics, and artificial intelligence, have enabled ever more detailed insight into telomere structure, regulation, and function. There have been associated advances in diagnostics, therapeutic strategies, and clinical applications. This volume describes the striking progress made in this rapidly advancing field, covering topics that range from the molecular architecture of telomeres and telomerase to the mechanisms underlying the alternative lengthening of telomeres pathway, and the growing interface between telomere biology, human health, and therapeutic innovation. The chapters are written by many of the leading scientists in the field, whose insights collectively offer both an authoritative reference work and an inspiration for future research.