Abstract
The biology of telomeres and telomerase has been the subject of intensive investigative effort since it became evident that they play a significant role in two important biological processes, the loss of cellular replicative capacity inherent to organismal ageing and the unrestricted cell proliferation characteristic of carcinogenesis. Telomere shortening in normal cells is a result of DNA replication events, and reduction beyond a critical length is a signal for cellular senescence. One of the cellular mechanisms used to overcome proliferative restriction is the activation of the enzyme telomerase, which replaces the loss of telomeric DNA that occurs at each cell division. Studies have demonstrated that tumours have shorter telomeres than normal tissue and that telomerase is activated in up to 90% of all human cancers while it is present only in a limited range of normal adult tissues. The role of telomerase in the extension of the cellular replicative lifespan has recently been shown by ectopic expression of the enzyme, being consistent with the oncogenesis model whereby the acquisition of an 'immortal' phenotype is a requirement for advanced tumour progression. In this article we review the present knowledge of telomeres and telomerase in cancer and discuss the potential use of this enzyme as a diagnostic and prognostic tumour marker and as a target for cancer therapy.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 419-430 |
| Number of pages | 12 |
| Journal | Annals of Medicine |
| Volume | 30 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jan 1 1998 |
| Externally published | Yes |
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Keywords
- Cancer
- Human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT)
- Replicative senescence
- Telomerase
- Telomere shortening
- Tumour
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Medicine(all)
Cite this
Telomerase in cancer : Clinical applications. / Urquidi, Virginia; Tarin, David; Goodison, Steven.
In: Annals of Medicine, Vol. 30, No. 5, 01.01.1998, p. 419-430.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Telomerase in cancer
T2 - Clinical applications
AU - Urquidi, Virginia
AU - Tarin, David
AU - Goodison, Steven
PY - 1998/1/1
Y1 - 1998/1/1
N2 - The biology of telomeres and telomerase has been the subject of intensive investigative effort since it became evident that they play a significant role in two important biological processes, the loss of cellular replicative capacity inherent to organismal ageing and the unrestricted cell proliferation characteristic of carcinogenesis. Telomere shortening in normal cells is a result of DNA replication events, and reduction beyond a critical length is a signal for cellular senescence. One of the cellular mechanisms used to overcome proliferative restriction is the activation of the enzyme telomerase, which replaces the loss of telomeric DNA that occurs at each cell division. Studies have demonstrated that tumours have shorter telomeres than normal tissue and that telomerase is activated in up to 90% of all human cancers while it is present only in a limited range of normal adult tissues. The role of telomerase in the extension of the cellular replicative lifespan has recently been shown by ectopic expression of the enzyme, being consistent with the oncogenesis model whereby the acquisition of an 'immortal' phenotype is a requirement for advanced tumour progression. In this article we review the present knowledge of telomeres and telomerase in cancer and discuss the potential use of this enzyme as a diagnostic and prognostic tumour marker and as a target for cancer therapy.
AB - The biology of telomeres and telomerase has been the subject of intensive investigative effort since it became evident that they play a significant role in two important biological processes, the loss of cellular replicative capacity inherent to organismal ageing and the unrestricted cell proliferation characteristic of carcinogenesis. Telomere shortening in normal cells is a result of DNA replication events, and reduction beyond a critical length is a signal for cellular senescence. One of the cellular mechanisms used to overcome proliferative restriction is the activation of the enzyme telomerase, which replaces the loss of telomeric DNA that occurs at each cell division. Studies have demonstrated that tumours have shorter telomeres than normal tissue and that telomerase is activated in up to 90% of all human cancers while it is present only in a limited range of normal adult tissues. The role of telomerase in the extension of the cellular replicative lifespan has recently been shown by ectopic expression of the enzyme, being consistent with the oncogenesis model whereby the acquisition of an 'immortal' phenotype is a requirement for advanced tumour progression. In this article we review the present knowledge of telomeres and telomerase in cancer and discuss the potential use of this enzyme as a diagnostic and prognostic tumour marker and as a target for cancer therapy.
KW - Cancer
KW - Human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT)
KW - Replicative senescence
KW - Telomerase
KW - Telomere shortening
KW - Tumour
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0031757138&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0031757138&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3109/07853899809002483
DO - 10.3109/07853899809002483
M3 - Review article
C2 - 9814828
AN - SCOPUS:0031757138
VL - 30
SP - 419
EP - 430
JO - Annals of Medicine
JF - Annals of Medicine
SN - 0785-3890
IS - 5
ER -