noun
definition
An enzyme in eukaryotic cells that adds a specific sequence of DNA to the telomeres of chromosomes after they divide; gives the chromosomes stability over time.
Examples of telomerase in a Sentence
It is a negative regulator of telomerase activity and thus inhibits the elongation of telomere length.
It is thought that some cancer cells become " immortalized " because they express telomerase and can therefore continue to proliferate indefinitely.
In a second study, a Danish team found that permanently activating telomerase in similar stem cells also made them cancerous.
They suggest that SCLC would be a prime target for therapies directed at the RNA component of human telomerase.
The majority of human tumors stabilize their telomere lengths by activation of the enzyme telomerase.
However, both the human and mouse telomerase RNA genes are within CpG islands and may therefore be under the regulation of DNA methylation.
Is small cell lung cancer the perfect target for anti- telomerase treatment?
To the authors ' knowledge, the role of telomerase in germ cell derived malignancies has not previously been evaluated.
The enzyme is found in most types of tumor cells but not in healthy cells, indicating the potential of telomerase inhibitors in chemotherapy.
Conclusions These results indicate that the telomerase promoters have the capacity to drive the expression of the NAT.
However, the telomerase enzyme can build the telomeres up again, extending the life of the cell.
A matter of great relevance, however, is the presence of telomerase activity in most tumors.
A number of studies suggest that telomerase expression is an adverse prognostic factor for lung cancers.
Two cases of breast carcinoma and two cases of ovarian carcinoma were also included as positive controls in the telomerase assay.