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Telomere and Telomerase in Carcinogenesis: Their Role as Prognostic Biomarkers

  • Cancer Biology (Francesco Curcio, Section Editor)
  • Published:
Current Pathobiology Reports

Abstract

Unlimited replicative potential is the hallmark of cancer cells. Telomere shortening, which occurs at each cell division, restricts cell proliferation in normal somatic cells. Maintenance of telomere length, required for the unlimited cell proliferation displayed by cancer cells, is provided by telomerase activity, expressed in the vast majority of tumors. Telomere/telomerase interplay has a critical role in tumor initiation and progression. Many tumor-based studies have demonstrated that neoplastic cells generally have shorter telomeres than their adjacent non-cancerous mucosa, strongly supporting the concept that telomere erosion is a critical event in carcinogenesis. Telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT), the catalytic component of the telomerase complex, is usually absent in normal somatic cells but is expressed at variable levels in tumors. Specific mutations in its promoter may influence TERT levels. A body of data indicates that telomere length and levels of TERT/telomerase activity may be prognostic markers in cancers. Circulating cell-free TERT RNA may also be a promising marker for minimally invasive monitoring of disease progression and response to therapy.

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Acknowledgments

This work is supported by AIRC, Grant N IG-14258, and Ricerca Finalizzata No. RF-2011-02349645.

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    Authors and Affiliations

    1. Section of Oncology and Immunology, Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padova, Via Gattamelata, 35128, Padua, Italy

      Silvia Giunco, Enrica Rampazzo, Andrea Celeghin, Maria Raffaella Petrara & Anita De Rossi

    2. Epidemiology and Biostatistics Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico (CRO) IRCCS, Aviano, PN, Italy

      Maria Raffaella Petrara

    3. Istituto Oncologico Veneto (IOV)-IRCCS, Padua, Italy

      Anita De Rossi

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    1. Silvia Giunco
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    Correspondence to Anita De Rossi.

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    Silvia Giunco and Enrica Rampazzo have equally contributed to the work.

    This article is part of the Topical Collection on Cancer Biology.

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    Giunco, S., Rampazzo, E., Celeghin, A. et al. Telomere and Telomerase in Carcinogenesis: Their Role as Prognostic Biomarkers. Curr Pathobiol Rep 3, 315–328 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40139-015-0087-x

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