Author(s): KONG, I.D.1, MIN, J.H.2, Institution: YONSEI UNIVERSITY WONJU COLLEGE OF MEDICINE, Country: KOREA, SOUTH, Abstract-ID: 1198

INTRODUCTION:
Telomeres, repetitive nucleotide sequences situated at the terminal ends of linear chromosomes, play a pivotal role in maintaining genomic stability. Telomere length (TL) is intricately linked to biological aging, and cancer treatments are known to contribute to telomere shortening. While the benefits of exercise in breast cancer survivors (BCs) are well-established, its specific impact on TL remains an active area of investigation. This study aims to explore the factors associated with TL and evaluate the efficacy of exercise on TL in BCs.
METHODS:
Fifty BCs (Stage 0-3), with a mean age of 53.9±6.5 years, were randomly assigned to either the exercise or usual care group (1:1 ratio). Participants in the exercise group engaged in a supervised aerobic and resistance exercise program three times a week via Zoom (30 minutes per session for 12 weeks) along with unsupervised home-based exercises. The control group maintained their usual daily activities. The primary outcomes measured were TL and mitochondrial DNA copy number.
RESULTS:
Of the 50 participants enrolled, 46 (92%) completed the trial with high exercise compliance. Baseline measurements revealed a positive correlation between TL and mitochondrial DNA copy number (p<0.001) and negative correlations with WISP-1 (p<0.01) and WISP-2 (p<0.05). BCs in the exercise group demonstrated significant improvements in Telomere/Single Copy Gene (T/S) ratio (1.7±0.7 vs. 2.5±0.9; p<0.01) and mitochondrial DNA copy number (291.3±124.6 vs. 453.5±182.2; p<0.001). Conversely, the usual care group exhibited a significant decrease in T/S ratio (2.5±0.8 vs. 1.8±1.1; p<0.05) and mitochondrial DNA copy number (464.2±212.3 vs. 274.8±140.9; p<0.001) after 12 weeks compared to baseline.
CONCLUSION:
The implementation of a remote exercise intervention resulted in a significant improvement in TL in breast cancer survivors. These findings highlight the potential of structured exercise programs to impact telomere dynamics in this population positively. Further research is warranted to explore the long-term implications and mechanisms underlying this observed improvement.