Telomerase: a key player in the pathogenesis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease?

Expert Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2021 Mar 12. doi: 10.1080/17474124.2021.1903318. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTIntroduction: Telomerase is a basic nuclear protein reverse transcriptase, which plays a key role in maintaining telomere stability, genome integrity, long-term cell activity and potential continued proliferation.Area covered: This narrative review discusses key research advances involving telomerase in the development and progression of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The review evaluates: a) whether the assessment of telomerase can be used as a non-invasive diagnostic tool; and b) whether modification of telomerase function might be a useful potential therapeutic target for treatment of NAFLD. Furthermore, the relationship between telomerase and other chronic metabolic diseases is evaluated.Expert opinion: Several experimental and preclinical studies have suggested that telomerase plays an important role in the development of NAFLD. However, further mechanistic studies are needed to prove a causal relationship and to better elucidate whether the measurement of telomerase has utility as a diagnostic tool or whether pharmacological manipulation of telomerase has therapeutic potential in NAFLD treatment.PMID:33709875 | DOI:10.1080/17474124.2021.1903318
Source: Expert Review of Gastroenterology and Hepatology - Category: Gastroenterology Authors: Source Type: research