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Updated: Aug 7, 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

Targeting telomerase

Aisha Siddiqa1, David A Cavazos, Robert A Marciniak

  • 1Department of Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas 78229, USA.

Rejuvenation Research
|July 25, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Telomerase inhibition is a promising cancer therapy. However, inhibiting telomerase may cause cancer cells to activate alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT) mechanisms for survival.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Telomerase is constitutively expressed in most human tumors, making it a key therapeutic target.
  • Telomerase inhibition strategies include targeting TERT, TERC, telomere DNA, or using combination therapies.
  • Some immortalized cancer cells (10-15%) maintain telomeres via alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT) in a telomerase-independent manner.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the implications of telomerase inhibition as an anticancer strategy.
  • To explore the potential for telomerase inhibition to select for cancer cells utilizing alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT).

Main Methods:

  • Review of current therapeutic strategies targeting telomerase.
  • Analysis of cancer cell mechanisms for telomere maintenance, including telomerase-dependent and ALT pathways.
  • Consideration of the impact of telomerase inhibition on the selection of ALT-positive cancer cells.

Main Results:

  • Telomerase inhibition is a broad-spectrum therapeutic approach for many cancers.
  • Alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT) represents a resistance mechanism in a subset of cancer cells.
  • The study highlights the critical need to understand the interplay between telomerase inhibition and ALT activation.

Conclusions:

  • Telomerase inhibition is a viable anticancer strategy with various therapeutic approaches.
  • The emergence of ALT-mediated telomere maintenance under telomerase inhibition pressure is a significant concern.
  • Further research is crucial to determine if telomerase inhibition selects for ALT-dependent cancer cells, impacting treatment efficacy.

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