@article{Ma2026, 
author = {Kangkang Ma and Zhongbo Yu},
title = {Quantifying telomere length: from bulk assays to single-molecule resolution},
year = {2026},
journal = {Biophysics Reports},
volume = {12},
number = {3},
pages = {162-174},
keywords = {Telomere length, Terminal restriction fragments, Nanopore, Magnetic tweezers, Single-molecule},
url = {https://www.sciopen.com/article/10.52601/bpr.2025.240068},
doi = {10.52601/bpr.2025.240068},
abstract = {Telomere length (TL) is a promising biomarker for age-associated diseases and cancer. Single-molecule studies of human TL are advancing rapidly, providing unprecedented insights into the dynamics and variability of telomeres at the single-molecule level. TL is commonly reported as average TL or relative TL, depending on the methods used. However, average TL, short TL, and long TL have distinct significances: average TL serves as a general biomarker for aging, short TL indicates the risk of age-related diseases, and long TL is associated with certain cancers and all-cancer mortality. Thus, the TL distribution is more important than the average TL alone. Single-molecule techniques measure TL one telomere at a time, offering quantitative TL distributions that are crucial for understanding telomere biology. In this review, we focus on various TL measurement techniques, with particular emphasis on single-molecule methods. Single-molecule studies of human TL are poised to play a pivotal role in advancing our understanding and clinical management of age-associated diseases and cancer.}
}