The high-risk human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are the causative agents of nearly all cervical cancers and are etiologically linked to additional human cancers, including those of anal, oral, and laryngeal origin. The main transforming genes of the high-risk HPVs are E6 and E7. E6, in addition to its role in p53 degradation, induces hTERT mRNA transcription in genital keratinocytes via interaction...

BACKGROUND Sulforaphane (SFN), an isothiocyanate found in cruciferous vegetables, is a common dietary component that has histone deacetylase inhibition activity and exciting potential in cancer prevention. The mechanisms by which SFN imparts its chemopreventive properties are of considerable interest and little is known of its preventive potential for breast cancer. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS We foun...

Human Papillomavirus Viruses (HPVs) are associated with the majority of human cervical and anal cancers and 10-30% of head and neck squamous carcinomas. E6 oncoprotein from high risk HPVs interacts with the p53 tumor suppressor protein to facilitate its degradation and increases telomerase activity for extending the life span of host cells. We published previously that the Myc cellular transcri...

N-myc and STAT interactor (NMI) has been proved to bind to different transcription factors to regulate a variety of signaling mechanisms including DNA damage, cell cycle and epithelial-mesenchymal transition. However, the role of NMI in the regulation of cancer stem cells (CSCs) remains poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the regulation of NMI on CSCs traits in breast cancer and u...

PURPOSE The human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) is considered as a potential target for cancer immunotherapy because it is preferentially expressed in tumor cells. To increase the applicability of hTERT-based immunotherapy, we set out to identify CTL epitopes in hTERT restricted by HLA-B*0702 molecule, a common MHC class I allele. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN HLA-B*0702-restricted peptides ...

The overexpression of human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) has been associated with the invasion and metastasis of colorectal cancer (CRC) and has received extensive attention, although the underlying mechanism involved remains unclear. The aim of the present study was to screen and preliminarily validate new tumor‑suppressor microRNAs (miRNAs) that potentially inhibit hTERT expressio...

PURPOSE To investigate the levels of human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) DNA in the plasma of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and to evaluate the diagnostic value and correlation of hTERT DNA with clinical parameters in HCC. METHODS A real-time quantitative fluorescent polymerase chain reaction (FQ-PCR) system was designed and evaluated. Plasma samples were collected ...

PURPOSE The expression of human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) is associated with cellular aging and tumorigenesis. It was found in nearly all cancer types but not in most normal, somatic cells. The aim of this study was to investigate whether hTERT inhibition by antisense oligodeoxynucleotides (AS-ODN) can act as an efficient strategy to specifically impair the growth of bladder canc...

BACKGROUND Serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is the most widely used marker for diagnosing prostate cancer (PCa). It lacks specificity and predictive value, resulting in inaccurate diagnoses and overtreatment of the disease. The aim of this study was to assess the usefulness of plasma telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) mRNA as a diagnostic and prognostic tool for PCa and its associati...