Role of Telomeres and Telomerase in Aging and Cancer

UNLABELLED: Telomeres progressively shorten throughout life. A hallmark of advanced malignancies is the ability for continuous cell divisions that almost universally correlates with the stabilization of telomere length by the reactivation of telomerase. The repression of telomerase and shorter telomeres in humans may have evolved, in part, as an anticancer protection mechanism. Although there is still much we do not understand about the regulation of telomerase, it remains a very attractive and novel target for cancer therapeutics. This review focuses on the current state of advances in the telomerase area, identifies outstanding questions, and addresses areas and methods that need refinement. SIGNIFICANCE:…

• NI
  National Institutes of Health

  Award: C06 RR30414
• NC
  National Cancer Institute

  Award: P50CA70907