Kouniavsky Guennadi, Zeiger Martha A
Division of Endocrine Surgery, Department of Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 600 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21287, USA.
Discov Med. 2010 Oct;10(53):340-7.
The enzyme, telomerase, is a reverse transcriptase that synthesizes the telomeric ends of linear chromosomes and compensate for the shortened telomere, thereby immortalizing the cell. It is present at the blastocyst stage of embryological development, low or undetectable in most somatic cells, and activated in cancer. Because of its strong association with cancer cell immortalization and proliferation, numerous attempts have been made to capitalize on its diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic potential. Herein we discuss the role of telomerase in normal, benign, and cancerous endocrine tissues.
端粒酶是一种逆转录酶，它能合成线性染色体的端粒末端并补偿缩短的端粒，从而使细胞永生化。它存在于胚胎发育的囊胚阶段，在大多数体细胞中含量低或检测不到，而在癌症中被激活。由于其与癌细胞永生化和增殖密切相关，人们已多次尝试利用其诊断、预后和治疗潜力。在此，我们讨论端粒酶在正常、良性和癌性内分泌组织中的作用。
