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Letter

Nature Cell Biology 5, 474–479 (1 May 2003) | doi:10.1038/ncb985

Telomerase modulates expression of growth-controlling genes and enhances cell proliferation

Laura L. Smith , Hilary A. Coller & James M. Roberts

Most somatic cells do not express sufficient amounts of telomerase to maintain a constant telomere length during cycles of chromosome replication. Consequently, there is a limit to the number of doublings somatic cells can undergo before telomere shortening triggers an irreversible state of cellular senescence.