Telomerase is activated in many human cancers, and the possibility of targeting tumours with telomerase inhibitors is attractive. But a study in September's Nature Genetics shows that Terc−/− mice, which lack functional telomerase, are especially sensitive to ionizing radiation. The scientific implication is that functionally intact telomeres and the response to ionizing radiation are somehow linked; the clinical one is that it may not be wise to treat cancer patients with both telomerase inhibitors and ionizing radiation.
ORIGINAL RESEARCH PAPER
Wong, K.-K. et al. Telomere dysfunction impairs DNA repair and enhances sensitivity to ionizing radiation. Nature Genet. 26, 85?88 (2000)
FURTHER READING Gonz´lez-Su´rez, E., Samper, E., Flores, J. M. & Blasco, M. A. Telomerase-deficient mice with short telomeres are resistant to skin tumorigenesis. Nature Genet. 26, 114?117 (2000)
REVIEW Lundblad, V. DNA ends: maintenance of chromosome termini versus repair of double strand breaks. Mutat. Res. 451, 227?240 (2000)
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Mitchell, A. Caps and cancer. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 1, 8 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1038/35036029
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/35036029