Telomerase at the intersection of cancer and aging

2015-01-13

Telomerase at the intersection of cancer and aging

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Abstract
Although cancer and aging have been studied as independent diseases, mounting evidence suggests that cancer is an aging-associated disease and that cancer and aging share many molecular pathways. In particular, recent studies validated telomerase activation as a potential therapeutic target for age-related diseases; in addition, abnormal telomerase expression and telomerase mutations have been associated with many different types of human tumor. Here, we revisit the connection between telomerase and cancer and aging in light of recent findings supporting a role for telomerase not only in telomere elongation, but also in metabolic fitness and Wnt activation. Understanding the physiological impact of telomerase regulation is fundamental given the therapeutic strategies that are being developed that involve telomerase modulation.

Some notes

that

can-
cer

is

an

aging-associated

disease

and

that

cancer

and
aging

share

many

molecular

pathways.
-Telomerase

defects

may

lead

to

aging

and

cancer

as

a

key

factor

that

regulates

aging

regulation

in

cancer

in

stem

cells

based

on

telomerase:

therapeutic

value

and
future

perspectives
It

seems

hazardous

to

use

the

lack

of
tumorigenesis

in

mice

as

evidence

for

the

safety

of

pro-
telomerase

therapies

in

humans,

because

telomerase

is
differentially

regulated

in

these

organisms

a

starting

point

for

translating

these

?ndings
to

the

clinic,

telomerase

activation

is

likely

to

be

tested

?rst
for

treatment

of

telomere

syndromes
Indeed,

a

change

of

paradigm

seems

to
be

occurring

in

telomerase

biology,

with

a

switch

from
viewing

telomerase

as

fueling

cancer

to

reversing

aging.
Supporting

this

notion

are

novel

telome-
rase

activators

120,127,128,

some

of

which

are

commer-
cially

available

and

used

as

anti-aging

supplements