Telomeres represent the ends of linear chromosomes which are composed of hexanucleotide repeats and are known to play a key role in maintaining genomic integrity. Telomeres shorten with each cell division cycle due to the end replication problem, oxidative damage, and several other end-processing activities. Upon reaching a critical telomere length, DNA damage signal is initiated from the telomeres that results in senescence or cell death. This represents an important tumor suppressor mechanism present in the somatic cells. However human cancers universally bypass senescence by activating or upregulating telomerase or by alternative mechanisms of telomere maintenance.
Telomeres, telomeric proteins, and telomerase are attractive targets for cancer therapy. Currently, very few telomerase inhibitors have progressed up to phase II clinical trials. Several telomeric protein inhibitors and telomeric secondary structure targeting ligands are under pre-clinical investigation. Recent advancements in understanding the telomere replication and structure of the telomerase complex have opened additional avenues to develop novel inhibitors of telomere maintenance in cancer cells. Thus an in-depth knowledge of telomere homeostasis in cancer cells versus normal cells will expedite the advancement in developing novel therapeutic intervention strategies against cancer.
This Research Topic seeks to cover outstanding research illustrating recent developments in the connections between telomeres, telomeric components, and cancer initiation as well as progression.
Specific areas to be covered in this Research Topic may include the following:
- Canonical and non-canonical role of telomerase in cancer
- Mutations and expression alteration in telomeric components and their association with cancer
- Telomeres as tumor suppressors
- Shelterin and telomere-associated proteins in cancer
- Long non-coding RNAs in telomere biology and their role in cancer
Please note: manuscripts consisting solely of bioinformatics or computational analysis of public genomic or transcriptomic databases which are not accompanied by validation (independent cohort or biological validation in vitro or in vivo) are out of scope for this section and will not be accepted as part of this Research Topic.
Telomeres represent the ends of linear chromosomes which are composed of hexanucleotide repeats and are known to play a key role in maintaining genomic integrity. Telomeres shorten with each cell division cycle due to the end replication problem, oxidative damage, and several other end-processing activities. Upon reaching a critical telomere length, DNA damage signal is initiated from the telomeres that results in senescence or cell death. This represents an important tumor suppressor mechanism present in the somatic cells. However human cancers universally bypass senescence by activating or upregulating telomerase or by alternative mechanisms of telomere maintenance.
Telomeres, telomeric proteins, and telomerase are attractive targets for cancer therapy. Currently, very few telomerase inhibitors have progressed up to phase II clinical trials. Several telomeric protein inhibitors and telomeric secondary structure targeting ligands are under pre-clinical investigation. Recent advancements in understanding the telomere replication and structure of the telomerase complex have opened additional avenues to develop novel inhibitors of telomere maintenance in cancer cells. Thus an in-depth knowledge of telomere homeostasis in cancer cells versus normal cells will expedite the advancement in developing novel therapeutic intervention strategies against cancer.
This Research Topic seeks to cover outstanding research illustrating recent developments in the connections between telomeres, telomeric components, and cancer initiation as well as progression.
Specific areas to be covered in this Research Topic may include the following:
- Canonical and non-canonical role of telomerase in cancer
- Mutations and expression alteration in telomeric components and their association with cancer
- Telomeres as tumor suppressors
- Shelterin and telomere-associated proteins in cancer
- Long non-coding RNAs in telomere biology and their role in cancer
Please note: manuscripts consisting solely of bioinformatics or computational analysis of public genomic or transcriptomic databases which are not accompanied by validation (independent cohort or biological validation in vitro or in vivo) are out of scope for this section and will not be accepted as part of this Research Topic.
