Armanios Lab
Principal Investigator: Mary Y Armanios
Institution: Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, MD)
Primary Subfield: Genetics/Genomics
Recruitment Status: Inquire for rotation/fellowship opportunities
Research Focus
Abstract This application focuses on understanding the genetic basis of a recently recognized cancer-prone syndrome caused by long telomere length. It is driven by extended cellular longevity, a mechanism that is distinct from tumor suppressor- and oncogene-mediated familial cancer syndromes. Telomere length is constrained in the human population to a relatively narrow range and telomerase elongation is tightly regulated. Recent studies, from multiple lines of evidence from our group and others, have uncovered that genetically-determined short telomere length, at certain thresholds, is protective against most age-related malignancies. Exceptions include squamous cancers that arise in the setting of T cell immune exhaustion, and myelodysplastic syndrome and acute myeloid leukemia that arise in the setting of hematopoietic stem cell failure. These cancers occur at significantly higher rates among individuals with Mendelian short telomere syndromes. The relatively lower risk of other age-related malignancies in the short telomere syndromes has deep mechanistic underpinnings as short telomere length mediates cellular senescence and apoptosis, thus limiting cancer evolution in nearly al…
Active NIH Awards
- 5R01CA292812-02: Cancer Genetics of Long Telomere Syndromes (2026)
- 5P30CA006973-63: Cancer Research Training andEducation Coordination (2026)
- 1R01CA292812-01A1: Cancer Genetics of Long Telomere Syndromes (2025)
- 5P30CA006973-62: Cancer Research Training andEducation Coordination (2025)
- 5P30CA006973-61: Cancer Research Training and Education Coordination (2024)
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