Androgens are enzymatically converted into estradiol (E2) via aromatase. E2 passively diffuses into cells and binds the α isoform of the estrogen receptor (ERα), which acts as a transcriptional activator by binding to estrogen response elements (ERE) in genomic DNA. The telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) promoter contains 2 putative EREs. Therefore, both androgens and estrogens increase TERT expression, ultimately resulting in increased telomerase activity in hematopoietic cells.