Introduction
Before researching about the possibility of using telomerase inhibitors to kill cancer cells, we first need to know what cancer is and what telomerase is. Cancer is the name used to describe the diseases in which cell have abnormal growth or cell divides is uncontrollable and it will affect other cells. These cancer can spread to other part of the body through the blood or lymph systems. Many people think that cancer is just a disease, in fact, cancer is not just a disease but it consists of hundred different types of cancer. Most of the cancer are named based on the organ where these abnormal cell division started. For example, if these uncontrollable cell division started at the breast, it is called breast cancer, if the cancer started in the melanocytes of the skin, it is call the melanoma cancer. Now, what is telomerase? Telomerase is a type of ribonucleoprotein enzyme in the human body that mediates RNA-dependent synthesis of telomeric repeats in species ranging from yeast to human. It is also function as the telomere lengthening mechanism by adding TTAGGG sequences to the end of existing chromosomes. This enzyme is found in fetal tissues, adult germ cells and also tumor cells. Telomerase is also known as telomere terminal transferase.
Content
The Activity of Telomerase in Cancer Cells …show more content…
These malignant cells will divide themselves until they form a lump of cell called the tumor where its growth cannot be controlled. In cancer cells, telomerase are identified to be more active by 10 to 20 times more effective compare to somatic or normal body cells. These provides a suitable medium for tumor to occur. So to stopped these uncontrolled cells growth, the activity of telomerase need to be turned off so that the telomere in the cancer cells will become shorten just like in the normal body cells. This will prevent the cancer cells from dividing uncontrollably in their early stages of
Before researching about the possibility of using telomerase inhibitors to kill cancer cells, we first need to know what cancer is and what telomerase is. Cancer is the name used to describe the diseases in which cell have abnormal growth or cell divides is uncontrollable and it will affect other cells. These cancer can spread to other part of the body through the blood or lymph systems. Many people think that cancer is just a disease, in fact, cancer is not just a disease but it consists of hundred different types of cancer. Most of the cancer are named based on the organ where these abnormal cell division started. For example, if these uncontrollable cell division started at the breast, it is called breast cancer, if the cancer started in the melanocytes of the skin, it is call the melanoma cancer. Now, what is telomerase? Telomerase is a type of ribonucleoprotein enzyme in the human body that mediates RNA-dependent synthesis of telomeric repeats in species ranging from yeast to human. It is also function as the telomere lengthening mechanism by adding TTAGGG sequences to the end of existing chromosomes. This enzyme is found in fetal tissues, adult germ cells and also tumor cells. Telomerase is also known as telomere terminal transferase.
Content
The Activity of Telomerase in Cancer Cells …show more content…
These malignant cells will divide themselves until they form a lump of cell called the tumor where its growth cannot be controlled. In cancer cells, telomerase are identified to be more active by 10 to 20 times more effective compare to somatic or normal body cells. These provides a suitable medium for tumor to occur. So to stopped these uncontrolled cells growth, the activity of telomerase need to be turned off so that the telomere in the cancer cells will become shorten just like in the normal body cells. This will prevent the cancer cells from dividing uncontrollably in their early stages of