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Utilizing Murine Inducible Telomerase Alleles in the Studies of Tissue Degeneration/Regeneration and Cancer
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Telomerase Inhibitors from Natural Products and Their Anticancer Potential

Kumar Ganesan1, Baojun Xu2

  • 1Food Science and Technology Program, Beijing Normal University-Hong Kong Baptist University United International College, Zhuhai 519087, China. kumarganesan@uic.edu.hk.

International Journal of Molecular Sciences
|December 22, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Telomeres and telomerase are key targets in cancer therapy. Inhibiting telomerase, an enzyme crucial for cancer cell proliferation, offers a promising strategy for developing new anticancer drugs.

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Oncology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Telomeres and telomerase play critical roles in cellular aging and cancer development.
  • Telomerase is essential for maintaining telomere length, enabling indefinite cancer cell proliferation.
  • The telomere/telomerase complex is a recognized hallmark of malignancy and a target for cancer therapy.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To provide fundamental knowledge on telomere and telomerase biology for anticancer drug development.
  • To review mechanisms for inhibiting the telomere/telomerase complex.
  • To explore natural products and small molecules as potential telomerase inhibitors.

Main Methods:

  • Comprehensive review of existing literature on telomere and telomerase biology.
  • Analysis of various binding proteins and their role in telomere/telomerase complex regulation.
  • Summary of inhibitors targeting the enzyme's catalytic subunit and RNA component.
  • Exploration of natural products affecting telomere stability and telomerase activity.
  • Review of transcriptional and post-transcriptional suppression strategies.

Main Results:

  • Telomerase activity is indispensable for cancer cell immortality.
  • Inhibiting telomerase or destabilizing telomeres can impede cancer progression.
  • Diverse strategies exist to target the telomere/telomerase complex, including natural products and small molecule inhibitors.

Conclusions:

  • A deep understanding of telomerase biology is crucial for designing effective anticancer drugs.
  • Targeting telomeres and telomerase offers a viable therapeutic strategy for various cancers.
  • Further research into telomerase inhibitors and natural products can enhance rational anti-cancer drug design.
Keywords:
anticancernatural productstelomerase inhibitorstelomere

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