Telomerase and telomere biology in hematological diseases: A new therapeutic target

•Telomeres are structures confined at the ends of eukaryotic chromosomes.•Telomerase neutralizes loss of telomeric sequences by adding telomere repeats.•Telomere biology is frequently associated with human cancer.•Telomerase mutations are risk factors for some hematological diseases.•There is an increasing interest in targeting telomeres and telomerase in anti-cancer therapy.