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Regina M. Santella, Ph.D. Telomeres are regions of highly repetitive DNA at the ends of chromosomes. Every time chromosomes are copied or replicated during mitosis, small pieces of the ends of the chromosomes aren't copied because the DNA polymerase complex is not able to replicate to the end of the chromosomes. Telomeres act as a buffer against the loss of vital genetic information. However, as we age, telomere shortening can lead to limitations in the proliferation of cells, chronic diseases, and the initiation of cancer. Previous studies demonstrated that telomeres are often shorter in tumor tissue, as compared to surrounding non-tumor tissue, including hepatocellular cancer one of the leading causes of cancer-related death worldwide. The current study attempted to correlate telomere length in tumor tissue with other factors including hepatitis B and C infection status and the presence of DNA adducts. The results showed that telomeres from DNA taken from the liver tumor tissue were approximately one-half the length of those from surrounding non-cancerous tissue, confirming the earlier studies. No significant correlations were found for telomere length and risk factors such as hepatitis infection status and aflatoxin- and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-DNA adduct formation. The researchers conclude that additional research is necessary to investigate the relationships between telomere length, chemical carcinogen exposure, and genetic and epigenetic changes seen in liver cancer. Citation: Zhang Y, Shen J, Ming-Whei, Lee YP, Santella RM. Telomere length in hepatocellular carcinoma and paired adjacent non-tumor tissues by quantitative PCR. Cancer Invest. 2007 Dec;25(8):668-77. |
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