Telomere maintenance and bone tumors
Keywords:
Telomere, maintenance, tumor, bone, telomeraseAbstract
Telomeres are DNA and protein complexes located at the end of linear chromosomes; they
help to maintain genomic stability. Under normal conditions, in somatic cells, telomeres shorten
after each cell division. When telomeres reach a certain length, the cell enters a phase called
«senescence». However, some cells escape senescence; telomeres from those cells continue
getting shorter until they reach a length at which the cell enters a phase called «crisis». At this
point, genomic instability occurs and can lead to cell death. Some cells successfully activate a
mechanism to restore telomere length and continue proliferating. The activation of a telomere
maintenance mechanism is a key feature of neoplastic cells. There are two known telomere
maintenance mechanisms: one is the reactivation of the enzyme telomerase, which is used
in 85% of human cancers, and the second is the activation of an alternative lengthening of
telomeres pathway (ALT), which is present in 15% of malignant tumors. The telomere main-
tenance mechanism present in a tumor could be useful as prognostic or treatment indicator.
And in the future, it could be a target for antineoplastic therapies.
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