{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,18]],"date-time":"2026-08-18T04:11:41Z","timestamp":1787026301690,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":101,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,10]],"date-time":"2025-09-10T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1757462400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Cell. Infect. Microbiol."],"abstract":"<jats:p>\n                    This review examines the potential of disrupting telomere maintenance in\n                    <jats:italic>Plasmodium<\/jats:italic>\n                    as a novel antimalarial strategy. Telomeres are repetitive DNA\u2013protein structures located at chromosome termini, where they preserve genome stability and protect against degradation. Telomere maintenance is crucial for rapid growth, genome integrity, and immune evasion in\n                    <jats:italic>Plasmodium<\/jats:italic>\n                    parasites. Unlike humans,\n                    <jats:italic>Plasmodium<\/jats:italic>\n                    maintains continuous telomerase activity and uses unique telomere-binding proteins across its lifecycle. These features drive parasite virulence and antigenic variation. Emerging evidence suggests that\n                    <jats:italic>Plasmodium<\/jats:italic>\n                    telomeres harbor G-quadruplex (G4) DNA structures, which help stabilize telomeres during replication and may be good targets for small molecules to disrupt their function. Additionally, the parasite depends heavily on its telomerase catalytic subunit, PfTERT, for survival. Inhibiting PfTERT has shown promising results in blocking telomere elongation and impairing replication. Targeting this parasite-specific telomere\u2013telomerase axis may offer a strategic means to destabilize chromosomes, weaken immune evasion, and limit parasite survival, making it a promising antimalarial approach. However, researchers must consider the risks of off-target effects in future drug designs. Though current studies are limited and remain inconclusive, we suggest that future research should investigate combining telomere-directed therapies with existing antimalarials to help overcome resistance and improve treatment outcomes. Herein, we review advances in understanding\n                    <jats:italic>Plasmodium<\/jats:italic>\n                    telomere biology, highlighting its distinct structures, critical telomere-associated proteins, and roles in pathogenesis. We further explore how selective targeting could exploit an Achilles\u2019 heel in parasite survival, offering fresh possibilities for next-generation, parasite-specific malaria therapies.\n                  <\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/fcimb.2025.1659175","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,10]],"date-time":"2025-09-10T05:26:55Z","timestamp":1757482015000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Plasmodium telomere maintenance: uncovering the Achilles\u2019 heel for novel antimalarials"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"15","author":[{"given":"Theophilus N.","family":"Wakai","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Dorathy O.","family":"Anzaku","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Israel S.","family":"Afolabi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,10]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"S28","DOI":"10.1016\/j.pathol.2022.12.096","article-title":"Tell me more \u2013 telomere biology and understanding telomere defects","volume":"55","author":"Abraham","year":"2023","journal-title":"Pathology"},{"key":"B2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1088\/1755-1315\/993\/1\/012008","article-title":"Investigating the epidemiological factors responsible for malaria transmission dynamics","volume":"993","author":"Adegbite","year":"2021","journal-title":"IOP Conf. 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