Open Access Journal
QUALIS
B1
2021-2024
quadriênio
Open Access Journal
B1
2021-2024
quadriênio
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a hematologic malignancy characterized by the clonal expansion of myeloid blasts resulting from genetic and epigenetic alterations that disrupt hematopoiesis. Telomere integrity plays a crucial role in chromosomal stability; its critical loss promotes genomic instability, while mutant telomerase reactivation contributes to cellular immortalization and apoptotic resistance. This study aimed to analyze, through an integrative literature review, the role of telomerase and telomere length in AML. The search was conducted in PubMed, ScienceDirect, and the Virtual Health Library, including articles published between 2020 and 2025. Fourteen studies were selected according to predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. The evidence indicates hTERT overexpression and increased serum TERT levels in AML patients, modulated by regulatory pathways such as SKP2–CDKN1B–E2F1/Rb and the RUNX1–ETO fusion. Alterations in the telomeric RNA TERRA were associated with transcriptional dysregulation and poorer clinical outcomes. Additionally, both critically short and abnormally long telomeres were observed to contribute to leukemic progression, reflecting telomere homeostasis imbalance. Finally, therapeutic strategies targeting telomere maintenance demonstrated antitumor potential. Thus, the characterization of telomere status and telomerase activity emerges as a promising tool for diagnosis, prognosis, and therapeutic guidance in AML.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Copyright (c) 2026 Maria Clara Regina da Silva, Marília Carneiro Pessôa Silva, Ana Letícya Silva Lima, Maria Clara Gonçalves de Queiroz Brito, Melayne Rocha Aciole