Linked Life Data

15764387

Source:http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/id/15764387

Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
11-12
pubmed:dateCreated
2005-3-15
pubmed:abstractText
Telomeres are specialized DNA-protein complexes found at the ends of eukaryotic chromosomes. In normal somatic cells these become shorter with each cell division and appear to control their replicative lifespan. However almost all tumours show activation of the enzyme telomerase, a specialised reverse transcriptase/DNA polymerase, that can add new telomeric repeats to the ends of chromosomes and this appears to be a key factor in the cell immortalization process. Consequently there is much current interest in the potential for inhibitors of telomere extension in the treatment of cancer. Several groups have found that it is possible to produce inhibitory molecules that target the telomeric repeat (substrate) DNA rather than the telomerase enzyme itself. This is thought to work because it has been found that in vitro, these DNA sequences can fold up into a four-stranded (quadruplex) structure that the drugs recognise and stabilize, but which is not recognised by the enzyme. However, while medicinal chemists continue to base rational design programs on this hypothesis, there is currently very little evidence that these structures form in vivo, and that in vivo the drugs work by binding to them. To have incontrovertible evidence of where and how these telomerase inhibitors and DNA interact is therefore a pressing concern for a basic understanding of their mechanism of action and effective drug development.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:issn
0955-3002
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
80
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
805-11
pubmed:dateRevised
2006-11-15
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:articleTitle
The mysteries of telomere structure and recognition: could radioprobing help?
pubmed:affiliation
School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK. Charles.Laughton@nottingham.ac.uk
pubmed:publicationType
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Lectures