Human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) is the key component of telomerase catalytic activity, and is associated with tumorigenesis. Recent evidence suggests that the down-regulation of hTERT could rapidly induce an antiproliferative effect in tumor cells, independent of the telomere-elongating function of the enzyme. To test the immediate antitumor efficacy of this down-regulation, anti...

Although hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fifth most common cancer worldwide, the molecular pathogenesis of the disease has not been elucidated. Several studies have shown that telomerase activity and hTERT expression are increased in HCCs. In the present study we tried to elucidate hTERT transcriptional and epigenetic regulatory mechanisms in HCC. hTERT expression was tested by real-time ...

Telomerase, a ribonucleoprotein complex mainly composed of the reverse transcriptase catalytic subunit (human telomerase reverse transcriptase, hTERT) and the RNA component (hTR), is a key enzyme of cancer progression. That aggressive stage 4-neuroblastoma expressed high levels of telomerase activity, whereas favorable tumors had no or little telomerase expression and activity, prompted us to i...

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) expression and telomere length in ameloblastoma, and expolre the role of hTERT in the invasiveness and recurrence of ameloblastoma. Methods: hTERT expression was detected by immunohistochemistry and Western blotting and telomere length by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) in human ameloblastoma...

The human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) is nearly universally overexpressed in human cancer, contributes critically to oncogenesis, and is recognized by cytotoxic T cells that lyse tumors. CD8+ T cells specific for hTERT naturally occur in certain populations of cancer patients in remission, but it remains poorly understood whether such T cells could contribute to tumor immunosurveil...

Human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) is expressed in most cancer cells. Paradoxically, its promoter is embedded in a hypermethylated CpG island. A short region escapes to this alteration, allowing a basal level of transcription. However, the methylation of adjacent regions may play a role in the maintenance of low hTERT expression. It is now well established that methyl-CpG binding do...

AIMS Human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) is believed to a reliable marker for telomerase activity. The expression of telomerase activity has not been investigated in a consecutive series of patients with colorectal adenocarcinoma in North Queensland. The objective of this study was to evaluate the significance of hTERT mRNA expression in colorectal adenocarcinoma in North Queensland....

Information on the regulation of steroid hormone receptors and their distinct functions within the human endometrial epithelium is largely unavailable. We have immortalized human primary endometrial epithelial cells (EECs) isolated from a normal proliferative phase endometrium by stably transfecting the catalytic subunit (hTERT) of the human telomerase complex and cultured these hTERT-EECs now ...

PURPOSE Induction of viral lytic cycle, which induces death of host cells, may constitute a useful adjunct to current therapeutic regimens for Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-driven malignancies. Human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT), essential for the oncogenic process, may modulate the switch from latent to lytic infection. The possible therapeutic role of hTERT inhibition combined with ant...

Telomere instability and telomerase reactivation are believed to play an important role in the development of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). Abnormal enzymatic activity of human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT), and its alternative splice variants have been reported to account for deregulated telomerase function in many cancers. In this study, we aim to compare the differences in expr...