Telomeres, Telomerase, and Cancer

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Abstract
What accounts for the ability of cancer cells to proliferate in a manner that is out of control, whereas normal cells die after 40 to 60 cycles of replication? One mechanism that leads to the death of a normal cell is erosion of the structure that caps the ends of chromosomes — the telomere (from the Greek telos, meaning end, and meros, a component) — each time a cell divides. The clinical relevance of telomeres is that a cancer cell, unlike a normal cell, can repair eroded telomeres. The existence of this repair mechanism suggests a novel target for cancer . . .