Telomerase in Acute Myeloid Leukemia: A Molecular Update on Diagnosis, Prognosis, and Treatment

It is expected that 10,460 patients will die from acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in the United States in 2016. Despite progress in clinical management, AML patients still have a 25.9% survival rate in the U.S. Researchers have sought to further understand this hematological malignancy and a number of studies have focused on unveiling the role of telomerase in disease initiation, progression, and maintenance. Though the role of telomerase in diagnosis has remained relatively static, its role in prognosis and treatment has become much clearer. While variants in TERT and TERC have been associated with worse clinical outcomes, telomerase and survivin co-expression can predict improved clinical outcomes. In regards to treatment, novel therapies such as mesoindigo and sodium metaarsenite provide new insights in clinical management. The use of leukemic stem cells in mouse models has shown promising results as well. Herein, we provide an update on the role of telomerase in AML through a survey of recent literature, focusing on the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of AML.