title: Telomeres and telomerase in the clinical management of colorectal cancer.
abstract: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer worldwide. Our aim is to describe the state of the art about the role of telomeres and telomerase in the clinical management of CRC and its potential utility as prognostic and diagnostic biomarkers and targets of new treatments. Telomere length could be a new diagnostic marker as an anomalous behavior is observed in peripheral blood cells when CRC patients and healthy people are compared. Moreover, telomeres and telomerase may be used as diagnostic markers considering that universal changes appear along the CRC process. Currently, new therapeutic cancer approaches are focused on inhibiting the maintenance of telomere length, choosing as targets telomerase -or its subunits- or the Shelterin complex. The goal of these therapies is the shortening of telomeres and the induction of cell senescence. Telomeres and telomerase emerge as useful molecular tools in the clinical management of CRC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Medical School, Lleida University, Rovira Roure 80, 25198, Lleida, Spain.|IRBLleida, Rovira Roure 80, 25198, Lleida, Spain.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Piñol-Felis
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II, Faculty of Pharmacy, Complutense University, Sq Ramón y Cajal s/n (Ciudad Universitaria), Madrid, Spain.|Sanitary Research Institute of San Carlos Hospital (IdISCC), 28040, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fernández-Marcelo
authors.affiliation: IRBLleida, Rovira Roure 80, 25198, Lleida, Spain.|Hospital Universitari Arnau de Vilanova, Rovira Roure 80, 25198, Lleida, Spain.|Department of Surgery, Medical School, Lleida University, Rovira Roure 80, 25198, Lleida, Spain.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Viñas-Salas
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Medical School, Lleida University, Rovira Roure 80, 25198, Lleida, Spain. cristina.valls@urv.cat.|IRBLleida, Rovira Roure 80, 25198, Lleida, Spain. cristina.valls@urv.cat.|Rovira Virgili University, Ctra de Valls s/n. Campus Sescelades, 43007, Tarragona, Spain. cristina.valls@urv.cat.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Valls-Bautista
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D019098:Telomerase / Q000378:metabolism*; D016615:Telomere / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D019098:Telomerase
keywords: Colorectal cancer; Colorectal cancer therapy; Diagnostic marker; Prognostic marker; Telomerase activity; Telomere length