https://www.selleckchem.com/JAK.html Ghrelin is a multi-functional peptide, its role on cancer cell apoptosis remains controversial. The present study examined the effects and mechanisms of ghrelin on cisplatin-induced apoptosis in human breast cancer cells. It was identified that ghrelin inhibited apoptosis in MDA-MB-231 cells in vitro and reversed the expression of B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl2) and Bcl2-associated X, and cleaved caspase-3 induced by cisplatin. Furthermore, ghrelin activated the phosphoinositide 3-kinases/Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin (PI3K/Akt/mTOR) signaling pathway after cisplatin treatment. The effects of ghrelin on the cisplatin-induced apoptosis and PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling were reversed by the growth hormone secretagogue receptor small interfering RNA. The present study suggests that ghrelin may serve as a novel target for cisplatin resistance and a potential indicator of cisplatin sensitivity in breast cancer treatment. Copyright © Zhang et al.Osteoarthritis (OA) and osteoporosis (OP) are associated skeletal pathologies and have as a distinct feature the abnormal reconstruction of the subchondral bone. OA and OP have been characterized as age-related diseases and have been associated with telomere shortening and altered telomerase activity (TA). This review discusses the role of telomeres and telomerase in OA and OP pathologies and focuses on the usability of telomere length (TL) and the rate of telomere shortening as potential disease biomarkers. A number of studies have demonstrated that telomere shortening may contribute to OA and OP as an epigenetic factor. Therefore, it has been claimed that the measurement of TL of chondrocytes and/or peripheral blood cells may be an appropriate marker for the evaluation of the progression of these diseases. However, there is a need to be perform further studies with larger cohorts, with the aim of obtaining objective results and a better understanding of the association between TL, inflammation and agi