title: Specific association of human telomerase activity with immortal cells and cancer.
abstract: Synthesis of DNA at chromosome ends by telomerase may be necessary for indefinite proliferation of human cells. A highly sensitive assay for measuring telomerase activity was developed. In cultured cells representing 18 different human tissues, 98 of 100 immortal and none of 22 mortal populations were positive for telomerase. Similarly, 90 of 101 biopsies representing 12 human tumor types and none of 50 normal somatic tissues were positive. Normal ovaries and testes were positive, but benign tumors such as fibroids were negative. Thus, telomerase appears to be stringently repressed in normal human somatic tissues but reactivated in cancer, where immortal cells are likely required to maintain tumor growth.
authors.affiliation: Geron Corporation, Menlo Park, CA 94025.
authors.forename: N W
authors.initials: NW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Piatyszek
authors.forename: K R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Prowse
authors.forename: C B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Harley
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: West
authors.forename: P L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Coviello
authors.forename: W E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Wright
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Weinrich
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Shay
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D002455:Cell Division; D002460:Cell Line; D002461:Cell Line, Transformed / Q000201:enzymology; D004253:DNA Nucleotidylexotransferase / Q000378:metabolism*; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D004794:Enzyme Repression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology*; D010053:Ovary / Q000201:enzymology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013737:Testis / Q000201:enzymology; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D004253:DNA Nucleotidylexotransferase