Abstract
The maintenance of specialized nucleoprotein structures at the ends of human chromosomes called telomeres is essential for chromosome stability, and plays a fundamental role in the regulation of cellular lifespan. Without new synthesis of telome-res, chromosome ends shorten with progressive cell division, eventually triggering either replicative senescence or apoptosis when telomere length becomes critically short. The regulation of telomerase activity in human cells plays a significant role in the development of cancer. Telomerase is tightly repressed in the vast majority of normal human somatic cells but becomes activated during cell immortalization and in cancers. Recent work has demonstrated that inhibiting or targeting telomerase shows promise as a novel anti-neoplastic strategy however, the biology of telomeres and telomerase predict that such approaches will differ in important ways from traditional cytotoxic drug therapies. Understanding telomerase biology may eventually lead to several types of clinically effective, telomerase-based therapies for neoplastic disease.
Keywords: Anti-Neoplastic Therapies, Telomere Biology, neoplastic disease, telomeres, telomerase, terahymena, htert gene, cancer, drug targets, immunolotherapy
Current Cancer Drug Targets
Title: Prospects for Anti-Neoplastic Therapies Based on Telomere Biology
Volume: 2 Issue: 1
Author(s): sheila A. Stewart and William C. Hahn
Affiliation:
Keywords: Anti-Neoplastic Therapies, Telomere Biology, neoplastic disease, telomeres, telomerase, terahymena, htert gene, cancer, drug targets, immunolotherapy
Abstract: The maintenance of specialized nucleoprotein structures at the ends of human chromosomes called telomeres is essential for chromosome stability, and plays a fundamental role in the regulation of cellular lifespan. Without new synthesis of telome-res, chromosome ends shorten with progressive cell division, eventually triggering either replicative senescence or apoptosis when telomere length becomes critically short. The regulation of telomerase activity in human cells plays a significant role in the development of cancer. Telomerase is tightly repressed in the vast majority of normal human somatic cells but becomes activated during cell immortalization and in cancers. Recent work has demonstrated that inhibiting or targeting telomerase shows promise as a novel anti-neoplastic strategy however, the biology of telomeres and telomerase predict that such approaches will differ in important ways from traditional cytotoxic drug therapies. Understanding telomerase biology may eventually lead to several types of clinically effective, telomerase-based therapies for neoplastic disease.
Export Options
About this article
Cite this article as:
Stewart A. sheila and Hahn C. William, Prospects for Anti-Neoplastic Therapies Based on Telomere Biology, Current Cancer Drug Targets 2002; 2 (1) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1568009023334015
DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1568009023334015 |
Print ISSN 1568-0096 |
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher |
Online ISSN 1873-5576 |
Call for Papers in Thematic Issues
Advances in Cancer Biomarkers and Potential Drug Targets: From Diagnosis to Therapy
Cancer biomarkers play a crucial role in the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of cancer. They provide valuable information for cancer detection, risk assessment, treatment selection, and monitoring response to therapy. With advancements in molecular biology and high-throughput technologies, there has been an increasing interest in identifying and characterizing cancer biomarkers ...read more
Innovative Cancer Drug Targets: A New Horizon in Oncology
Cancer remains one of the most challenging diseases, with its complexity and adaptability necessitating continuous research efforts into more effective and targeted therapeutic approaches. Recent years have witnessed significant progress in understanding the molecular and genetic basis of cancer, leading to the identification of novel drug targets. These include, but ...read more
ROLE OF IMMUNE AND GENOTOXIC RESPONSE BIOMARKERS IN TUMOR MICROENVIRONMENT IN CANCER DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT
Biological biomarkers have been used in medical research as an indicator of a normal or abnormal process inside the body, or of a disease. Nowadays, various researchers are in process to explore and investigate the biological markers for the early assessment of cancer. DNA Damage response (DDR) pathways and immune ...read more
Targeting the battlefield between host and tumor: basic research and clinical practice on reshaping tumor immune microenvironment
Immune system protects host against malignant tumors through effector cells and molecules. Cancer development and its response to therapy are regulated by inflammation, which either promotes or suppresses cancer progression. Chronic inflammation facilitates cancer progression and treatment resistance, whereas induction of acute inflammatory reactions often lead to anti-cancer immune responses. ...read more
- Author Guidelines
- Graphical Abstracts
- Fabricating and Stating False Information
- Research Misconduct
- Post Publication Discussions and Corrections
- Publishing Ethics and Rectitude
- Increase Visibility of Your Article
- Archiving Policies
- Peer Review Workflow
- Order Your Article Before Print
- Promote Your Article
- Manuscript Transfer Facility
- Editorial Policies
- Allegations from Whistleblowers
Related Articles
-
The DNA Methylation Machinery as a Therapeutic Target
Current Drug Targets Meal Replacement Beverage Twice a Day in Overweight and Obese Adults (MDRC2012-001)
Current Nutrition & Food Science PD-L1 Testing for Urothelial Carcinoma: Interchangeability, Reliability and Future Perspectives
Current Drug Targets Anti-tumor Therapeutic Molecules that Target the Programmed Cell Death Machinery
Mini-Reviews in Medicinal Chemistry Nitrosative Stress as a Mediator of Apoptosis: Implications for Cancer Therapy
Current Pharmaceutical Design The Prevention of Oral Mucositis in Patients with Blood Cancers: Current Concepts and Emerging Landscapes
Cardiovascular & Hematological Agents in Medicinal Chemistry Allelic Variations in CYP2D6 Gene and Susceptibility to Cervical Cancer
Drug Metabolism Letters Tumor Escape from Immune Response: Mechanisms and Targets of Activity
Current Drug Targets Structure and Expression of Different Serum Amyloid A (SAA) Variants and their Concentration-Dependent Functions During Host Insults
Current Medicinal Chemistry Recent Advances in the Design and Synthesis of c-Met Inhibitors as Anticancer Agents (2014-Present)
Current Medicinal Chemistry Magnetic and Gold-Coated Magnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles as Detection Tools: Preparation, Characterization, and Biosensing Applications
Current Nanoscience The Effect of Lipoic Acid on Macro and Trace Metal Levels in Living Tissues Exposed to Oxidative Stress
Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry Immune Receptors, Cadherins and their Interactions
Current Immunology Reviews (Discontinued) Applications of HPLC-MALDI-TOF MS/MS Phosphoproteomic Analysis in Oncological Clinical Diagnostics
Current Proteomics Recent Developments in Targeted Therapies of the RAF-MEK and PI3KAKT Pathways in Cancer Treatment
Current Cancer Therapy Reviews Pharmacological Properties and Therapeutic Potential of Naringenin: A Citrus Flavonoid of Pharmaceutical Promise
Current Pharmaceutical Design Gene Expression Analysis Approach to Establish Possible Links Between Parkinson's Disease, Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases
CNS & Neurological Disorders - Drug Targets Epigenetic Control Using Natural Products and Synthetic Molecules
Current Medicinal Chemistry Genome-wide Differential-based Analysis of the Relationship between DNA Methylation and Gene Expression in Cancer
Current Bioinformatics Dysfunctions of the Diffusional Membrane Pathways Mediated Hemichannels in Inherited and Acquired Human Diseases
Current Vascular Pharmacology