+ Author Affiliations Telomeres represent a molecular nexus where genome stability, aging, disease susceptibility, and regenerative potential converge. Advances in understanding how telomeres are replicated, protected, and repaired now inform fundamental questions about human lifespan, tissue renewal, the molecular origins of age-related decline, and cancer evolution. This volume presents an integrated collection of perspectives spanning telomere architecture, replication dynamics, telomere-driven genome instability, and telomere maintenance by telomerase and Alternative Lengthening of Telomeres (ALT), while also charting new therapeutic directions grounded in telomere biology. Drawing on molecular, structural, organismal, and clinical research, this collection showcases a field in rapid motion, reshaping our view of regeneration, aging, and disease.
Cooper et al. (2026) studied this question.