Applications of telomerase research in the fight against cancer

Telomerase, an enzyme that confers immortality upon cells and that is activ e in the majority of human tumors, has emerged as a powerful new marker and potential prognostic indicator and therapeutic target for cancer, Furtherm ore, investigations into the biology of telomerase have revealed important clues into the causes of cell death and have made progress toward answering one of the most important questions of cancer research - what gives a tumo r cell an advantage over normal cells? In this article, we present the curr ent state of telomerase research and critically assess both its potential a nd the pitfalls of its application in cancer diagnosis and treatment.