A new research paper has been published in Volume 18. Aging-United States Published on April 13, 2026 under the title “Interspecies activity of TERT human telomerase components.”
The study was led by co-lead authors Raul Sánchez Vázquez and Paula Martínez, with Maria A. Blasco from the Spanish National Cancer Center (CNIO), Madrid, Spain, serving as corresponding author. In this study, researchers explored an important question in aging and regenerative medicine: Can the human telomerase protein function effectively in other species that are commonly used in preclinical research? Telomerase plays a central role in maintaining chromosome integrity by preventing telomere shortening, a process closely associated with cellular aging and disease.
To investigate this, the research team introduced human telomerase catalytic subunit (TERT) into primary lung fibroblasts from several mammals, including monkeys, pigs, rabbits, rats, dogs, and mice. We then assessed both the biochemical activity and the ability of telomerase to elongate telomeres over time.
The results revealed a clear difference between biochemical compatibility and true biological function. in vitrohuman TERT was able to form active complexes with telomerase RNA from several species, including monkey, pig, rabbit, and rat. However, this activity does not necessarily lead to effective telomere maintenance in living cells.
Remarkably, only human and non-human primate cells showed progressive telomere lengthening over time. In contrast, other species, even those that initially showed enzymatic activity, were unable to maintain telomere elongation during long-term culture. In some cases, telomeres continue to shorten, suggesting that the functional integrity of telomerase is dependent on additional species-specific factors.
This study also revealed important limitations in commonly used animal models. Mouse and dog cells did not support human TERT activity, and in some cases, expression of the human enzyme led to decreased cell viability and signs of cellular stress.
“These results reveal that only non-human primate cells support full functional activity of human telomerase protein intracellularly, highlighting their suitability as preclinical models for telomerase-based therapeutic strategies.”
Importantly, the results of this study highlight that successful telomerase activity in vitro does not necessarily reflect what is happening in living cells. Telomerase recruitment, regulation, and function depend on a complex network of interacting proteins and cellular processes, many of which vary between species.
Overall, this study provides important insight into the challenges of translating telomerase-based therapies from preclinical models to humans. By identifying non-human primates as the most compatible system, this study provides a clearer path toward developing therapies to treat telomere-related diseases and age-related conditions.
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Reference magazines:
Raul, S. others. (2026) Cross-species activity of TERT human telomerase components. aging. DOI: 10.18632/Aging.206372. https://www.aging-us.com/article/206372/text
