Abstract:Telomeres are specialized structures found at the ends of eukaryotic chromosomes that shorten with cell division. Telomerase lengthens telomeres but has low or no activity in normal human cells. Most tumor cells extend telomeres to reach the possibility of unlimited cell proliferation by activating telomerase activity. Telomerase activity is strongly associated with tumorigenesis. This review takes common clinical malignant tumors in recent years as a starting point to review their relationship with telomerase activity and the latest research on telomerase inhibitors.
