MicroRNA Regulation of Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase (TERT): Micro Machines Pull Strings of Papier-Mâché Puppets
1
Institute of Biomedical and Genetic Engineering (IBGE), Islamabad 44000, Pakistan
2
Regenerative Medicine Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine, Saint-Joseph University, Beirut 1107-2180, Lebanon
3
Food Science and Technology Program, Beijing Normal University-Hong Kong Baptist University United International College, Zhuhai 519087, China
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2018, 19(4), 1051; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms19041051
Received: 13 February 2018 / Revised: 12 March 2018 / Accepted: 26 March 2018 / Published: 1 April 2018
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Role of Telomeres and Telomerase in Cancer and Aging)
Substantial fraction of high-quality information is continuously being added into the existing pool of knowledge related to the biology of telomeres. Based on the insights gleaned from decades of research, it is clear that chromosomal stability needs a highly controlled and dynamic balance of DNA gain and loss in each terminal tract of telomeric repeats. Telomeres are formed by tandem repeats of TTAGGG sequences, which are gradually lost with each round of division of the cells. Targeted inhibition of telomerase to effectively induce apoptosis in cancer cells has attracted tremendous attention and overwhelmingly increasingly list of telomerase inhibitors truthfully advocates pharmacological significance of telomerase. Telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) is a multi-talented and catalytically active component of the telomerase-associated protein machinery. Different proteins of telomerase-associated machinery work in a synchronized and orchestrated manner to ensure proper maintenance of telomeric length of chromosomes. Rapidly emerging scientific findings about regulation of TERT by microRNAs has revolutionized our understanding related to the biology of telomeres and telomerase. In this review, we have comprehensively discussed how different miRNAs regulate TERT in different cancers. Use of miRNA-based therapeutics against TERT in different cancers needs detailed research in preclinical models for effective translation of laboratory findings to clinically effective therapeutics.
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Keywords:
telomere; telomerase; microRNA; TERT; cancers
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MDPI and ACS Style
Farooqi, A.A.; Mansoor, Q.; Alaaeddine, N.; Xu, B. MicroRNA Regulation of Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase (TERT): Micro Machines Pull Strings of Papier-Mâché Puppets. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2018, 19, 1051.
AMA Style
Farooqi AA, Mansoor Q, Alaaeddine N, Xu B. MicroRNA Regulation of Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase (TERT): Micro Machines Pull Strings of Papier-Mâché Puppets. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2018; 19(4):1051.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFarooqi, Ammad A.; Mansoor, Qaisar; Alaaeddine, Nada; Xu, Baojun. 2018. "MicroRNA Regulation of Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase (TERT): Micro Machines Pull Strings of Papier-Mâché Puppets" Int. J. Mol. Sci. 19, no. 4: 1051.
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