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Updated: Oct 9, 2025

Utilizing Murine Inducible Telomerase Alleles in the Studies of Tissue Degeneration/Regeneration and Cancer
Published on: April 13, 2015
Telomeres and Cancer
Hueng-Chuen Fan1,2,3,4, Fung-Wei Chang5, Jeng-Dau Tsai6,7
1Department of Pediatrics, Tungs' Taichung Metroharbor Hospital, Wuchi, Taichung 435, Taiwan.
Abstract:
Telomeres cap the ends of eukaryotic chromosomes and are indispensable chromatin structures for genome protection and replication. Telomere length maintenance has been attributed to several functional modulators, including telomerase, the shelterin complex, and the CST complex, synergizing with DNA replication, repair, and the RNA metabolism pathway components. As dysfunctional telomere maintenance and telomerase activation are associated with several human diseases, including cancer, the molecular mechanisms behind telomere length regulation and protection need particular emphasis. Cancer cells exhibit telomerase activation, enabling replicative immortality. Telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) activation is involved in cancer development through diverse activities other than mediating telomere elongation. This review describes the telomere functions, the role of functional modulators, the implications in cancer development, and the future therapeutic opportunities.
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