Telomeres, Telomerase, and Curcumin: A New Frontier in Cancer Therapy: A Narrative Review

Telomeres, which serve as protective ends on chromosomes, and telomerase, the enzyme that preserves telomere length, play crucial roles in ensuring genomic stability and delaying cellular aging. Dysregulation of these proteins is a key characteristic of cancer development. This review aimed to explore the complex processes involved in telomere and telomerase dysregulation in cancer and evaluate the therapeutic potential of curcumin. Curcumin has attracted significant interest due to its anticancer, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties. Curcumin modulates telomere dynamics and inhibits telomerase activity, leading to cancer cell senescence and telomere shortening. Curcumin downregulates human telomerase reverse transcriptase expression and reduces telomerase activity in various cancer cell lines. Despite its potential, its clinical use is restricted by its poor water solubility and limited bioavailability. This review underscores the critical role of telomere/telomerase dysregulation in cancer and highlights curcumin as a promising modulator of these pathways, thereby offering potential novel strategies for cancer treatment. This review integrates the literature published up to September 2025 to ensure the inclusion of the most recent advances in curcumin-related telomerase modulation.