Immortality is one of the most universal characteristics of cancer cells. We study the mechanisms by which tumour cells are immortal and normal cells are mortal. Telomerase is an enzyme present in over 95% of all types of human cancers and absent in normal cells in the body. Telomeres, nucleoprotein complexes located at the ends of chromosomes, are essential for chromosome protection and genomic stability. Telomeres shorten progressively with organism ageing, leading to ageing. If telomeres are altered, adult stem cells have a maimed regenerative capacity.
Our research focuses on:
- Mouse models to validate telomeres and telomerase as therapeutic targets for cancer and age-related diseases.
- Interplay between telomeres and DNA repair pathways.
- Role and regulation of non-coding telomeric RNAs (TERRA).
- Telomerase gene therapy in telomere syndromes and age-related diseases.
- Role of telomerase and telomeres in:
- adult stem cell biology
- nuclear reprogramming of differentiated cells to iPS cells.
Open Access