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Telomerase Targets for Cancer Treatment The ends of chromosomes • DNA polymerase has trouble copying the tips of chromosomes- so why don’t we loose a little bit of information each time the cell replicates? Telomeres- the ends of shoe laces http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Telomere_ca ps.gif http://www.indiamart.com/srivaishnavi/shoeslaces-cords-and-tapes.html DNA cap • The DNA that is lost each time is “useless” DNA- it is just repeating meaningless bases • The length of this region keeps track of how old the cell is • Once the telomere gets too short the cell is programmed- it knows- to die Hayflick Limit • A cell can only divide so many times before it dies • In the lab we keep track of how many plates the cells have filled- we know when they’re getting old • People had observed this and didn’t know why it happened Telomerase • Telomerase adds telomeres to the ends of chromosomes- keeping a cell line alive longer – A cell line is a family of cells that all came from a single parent cell • Some people have speculated that it could turn back aging- why? Cancer and telomerase • What will be different about telomerase in cancer cells?
