Is telomerase a hidden player? Therapeutic potential of natural telomerase activators against age-related diseases

There is a huge demand for novel treatment and/or prevention approaches for age-related diseases, which reduce life quality and one of the main reasons for death worldwide. Many age-related diseases were found to be associated with dysfunctional telomeres, which accelerate aging process due to the decrease in repair potential of tissues. An enzyme called telomerase is mainly responsible for keeping telomeres healthful. In the last two decades, the progress in the field, including in vitro studies, preclinical data, and human trials, demonstrated that telomerase and related genes might be powerful targets for the treatment of those diseases. Considering telomerase reactivation as a treatment strategy in age-related degenerative diseases, telomerase activators obtained from natural products stand out as promising agents. Although various research showed that those activators have protective/therapeutic activity against age-related diseases, the role of telomerase activation is often neglected in studies. In this context, we focused on the natural products as telomerase activator and their activities on age-related diseases, specifically neurodegenerative, cardiovascular, and osteodegenerative disorders, in which telomere dysfunction plays a causal role. Thus, this review aims to draw attention to the possibility of telomerase activation in therapy, in which some well-known natural products such as telomerase activators might play a role.