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Telomerase in cancer: clinical applications
V Urquidi1, D Tarin, S Goodison
1Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla 92093-0684, USA.
Annals of Medicine
|November 14, 1998
Summary
Telomeres shorten with cell division, signaling aging. Cancer cells activate telomerase to maintain telomere length and achieve immortality, offering potential diagnostic and therapeutic targets.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Cell Biology
- Oncology
Background:
- Telomeres and telomerase are crucial in cellular aging and cancer.
- Telomere shortening limits normal cell replication, leading to senescence.
- Unrestricted cell proliferation in cancer is linked to telomere maintenance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review current knowledge on telomeres and telomerase in cancer.
- To discuss the role of telomerase in cancer development and progression.
- To explore the potential of telomerase as a cancer biomarker and therapeutic target.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies on telomere and telomerase biology.
- Analysis of telomere length in normal versus tumor tissues.
- Investigation of telomerase activity in various cancer types.
Main Results:
- Telomere shortening is a hallmark of normal cell aging.
- Telomerase activation enables cancer cells to overcome replicative limits.
- Tumors exhibit shorter telomeres than normal tissues, with high telomerase activity in 90% of human cancers.
Conclusions:
- Telomerase plays a key role in cancer cell immortality and progression.
- Telomerase is a promising diagnostic and prognostic marker for cancer.
- Targeting telomerase presents a potential strategy for cancer therapy.