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Updated: Sep 4, 2026

Utilizing Murine Inducible Telomerase Alleles in the Studies of Tissue Degeneration/Regeneration and Cancer
08:34

Utilizing Murine Inducible Telomerase Alleles in the Studies of Tissue Degeneration/Regeneration and Cancer

Published on: April 13, 2015

Telomerase and cancer: time to move from a promising target to a clinical reality

W N Keith1, T R Jeffry Evans, R M Glasspool

  • 1CRC Department of Medical Oncology, University of Glasgow, CRC Beatson Laboratories, Garscube Estate, Switchback Road, Glasgow G61 1BD, UK. n.keith@beatson.gla.ac.uk

The Journal of Pathology
|December 18, 2001
PubMed

Insights

Cancer cells evade senescence, a key aging process, contributing to uncontrolled growth and immortalization. This review explores senescence bypass, telomerase

Area of Science:

  • Molecular biology of cancer
  • Cellular senescence and immortalization
  • Cancer diagnostics and therapeutics

Background:

  • Significant progress in understanding cancer's molecular underpinnings over the last 25 years.
  • Identification of novel molecular targets for cancer diagnostics and therapies.
  • Four hallmarks of cancer: cell-cycle dysregulation, invasion/metastasis, apoptosis evasion, and senescence bypass.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the current understanding of senescence bypass and immortalization in carcinogenesis.
  • To discuss the potential of telomerase in cancer diagnostics.
  • To examine challenges in designing clinical trials for telomerase-based cancer therapies.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing scientific literature on cancer biology, senescence, and telomerase.
  • Analysis of molecular mechanisms underlying cancer cell hallmarks.
  • Discussion of clinical trial design principles for targeted therapies.

Main Results:

  • Senescence bypass and cellular immortalization are critical processes in cancer development.
  • Telomerase presents realistic opportunities for cancer diagnostics.
  • Significant challenges exist in the clinical application of telomerase therapeutics.

Conclusions:

  • Understanding senescence bypass is crucial for developing new cancer treatments.
  • Telomerase holds promise for cancer detection and therapy, but clinical translation requires careful consideration of trial design.
  • Continued research into cancer's molecular basis will drive innovation in diagnostics and therapeutics.

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