Telomere Targeting Approaches in Cancer: Beyond Length Maintenance

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Telomere Length and Telomerase Activity; A Yin and Yang of Cell Senescence
12:08

Telomere Length and Telomerase Activity; A Yin and Yang of Cell Senescence

Published on: May 22, 2013

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Eleonora Vertecchi1, Angela Rizzo2, Erica Salvati1

  • 1Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology, National Research Council, Rome, Italy, c/o Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via degli Apuli 4, 00185 Rome, Italy.

International Journal of Molecular Sciences
|April 12, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Telomere length is vital for cell stability and cancer development. This review covers new anticancer drugs targeting telomere maintenance mechanisms and their impact on cancer cell survival.

Area of Science:

  • Genetics and Molecular Biology
  • Cancer Research
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • Telomeres protect genome stability but shorten with cell division.
  • Telomere shortening leads to cellular senescence and organism aging.
  • Telomere maintenance is crucial for cancer cell survival and proliferation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review recent advancements in anticancer drug development.
  • To focus on drugs targeting telomere maintenance mechanisms.
  • To discuss the impact of telomere dysfunction on cancer signaling pathways.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of recent findings.
  • Analysis of drug development targeting telomere components.
  • Discussion of telomere dysfunction's role in DNA damage signaling and repair.

Main Results:

  • Telomere maintenance mechanisms are key targets in cancer therapy.
  • Telomere dysfunction affects DNA damage response pathways.
  • Various "telosome" components are being explored for drug development.

Conclusions:

  • Targeting telomere maintenance offers a promising strategy for cancer treatment.
  • Understanding telomere biology is critical for developing effective anticancer drugs.
  • Drug development focuses on inhibiting or manipulating telomere elongation and function.
Keywords:
G-quadruplex ligandscancershelterinstelomeres

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