Affiliation:
1. Department of Biological Basis of Health Sciences, University of Brasilia, Ceilandia Campus, Federal District, Brazil
2. Laboratory of Molecular Pathology of Cancer, University of Brasilia, Federal District, Brazil
Abstract
The alternative lengthening of telomere (ALT) is a pathway responsible for cell immortalization
in some kinds of tumors. Since the first description of ALT is relatively recent in the oncology field,
its mechanism remains elusive, but recent works address ALT-related proteins or cellular structures as
potential druggable targets for more specific and efficient antitumor therapies. Moreover, some new
generation compounds for antitelomerase therapy in cancer were able to provoke acquisition of ALT
phenotype in treated tumors, enhancing the importance of studies on this alternative lengthening of the
telomere. However, ALT has been implicated in different – sometimes opposite – outcomes, according
to the tumor type studied. Then, in order to design and develop new drugs for ALT+ cancer in an effective
way, it is crucial to understand its clinical implications. In this review, we gathered works published
in the last two decades to highlight the clinical relevance of ALT on oncology.
Funder
Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior
Publisher
Bentham Science Publishers Ltd.
Subject
Drug Discovery,General Medicine
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