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Telomerase: A novel target of antitumor agents

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Chinese Journal of Cancer Research

Abstract

Telomerase activity was found to be high in various human cancers, but absent in most normal tissues. Its expression pattern made it a novel target for antitumor agents. Several strategies against telomerase were presented in this review. Targeting the telomerase RNA component by oligonucleotide/ribozyme was considered to be one of the most hopeful approaches. Some progresses were made in this area, such as the use of PANs and 2–5A antisense compounds. The relationships among telomerase activity and cell differentiation, signal transduction, oncogene, tumor suppressor gene as well as cell cycle modulation also provided a series of valuable ideas in designing anti-telomerase drugs for cancer therapy. In conclusion, although there is still a long way in understanding the mechanism and regulation of telomerase, the advance of studies on telomerase has allowed the development of numerous strategies for the treatment of cancer.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Shanghai Institute of Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 320, Yueyang Road, 200031, Shanghai, China

    Zhang Ru-gang, Yuan **-hui, Wang **ng-wang & **e Hong

  2. Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 200031, Shanghai, China

    Xu Bin

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  1. Zhang Ru-gang
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  2. Yuan **-hui
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  3. Wang **ng-wang
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  4. Xu Bin
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  5. **e Hong
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Zhang, Rg., Yuan, Jh., Wang, Xw. et al. Telomerase: A novel target of antitumor agents. Chin J Cancer Res 12, 39–45 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02983192

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02983192

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