Telomeres are biological “caps” at chromosome ends that protect chromosomes from deterioration. Their biological importance is now recognized worldwide: the 2009 Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine 2009 was awarded to 3 scientists for their discovery of how chromosomes are protected by telomeres. A research team led by Dr. Yan has recently discovered a new phenomenon in leukemia: telomere elongation at specific chromosome arms. Leukemia is a very common life-threatening cancer. Many leukemia patients have no effective markers at diagnosis and thus cannot be identified until advanced stages of the disease, when treatment options are less efficacious and mortality rates higher. Dr. Yan plans to further explore the mechanisms of his leukemia-related finding, which will bring new knowledge of how tumor cells maintain their uncontrolled capacity for growth during tumor initiation and evolution. With this research as a basis, a new biomarker for tumors could subsequently be developed for early diagnosis, the evaluation of treatment efficacy, and the monitoring of disease progression.