title: Critical telomerase activity for uncontrolled cell growth.
abstract: The lengths of the telomere regions of chromosomes in a population of cells are modelled using a chemical master equation formalism, from which the evolution of the average number of cells of each telomere length is extracted. In particular, the role of the telomere-elongating enzyme telomerase on these dynamics is investigated. We show that for biologically relevant rates of cell birth and death, one finds a critical rate, R crit, of telomerase activity such that the total number of cells diverges. Further, R crit is similar in magnitude to the rates of mitosis and cell death. The possible relationship of this result to replicative immortality and its associated hallmark of cancer is discussed.
authors: Department of Physics, Engineering Physics & Astronomy, Queen's University, Kingston ON K7L 3N6 Canada.
authors: Neil L
authors: NL
authors: Wesch
authors: Laura J
authors: LJ
authors: Burlock
authors: Robert J
authors: RJ
authors: Gooding
mesh_terms: D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002477:Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000201:enzymology*; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D019098:Telomerase / Q000378:metabolism*; D016615:Telomere / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D019098:Telomerase