Telomeres, cancer, and immortality

Article Abstract:

The enzyme telomerase appears to be responsible for releasing cancerous cells from the normal limits on cell growth and allowing them to grow uncontrollably. Telomerase prevents the shortening of DNA sequences called telomeres that occurs naturally whenever cells divide. This shortening of telomeres is one of the ways the body maintains normal cell growth. In humans, the male and female sex cells produce telomerase, but most other body cells do not. A 1995 study found that 90 out of 101 tumor specimens contained telomerase, but the enzyme was not present in 50 samples of normal tissue. Tissue samples from benign tumors such as intestinal polyps and uterine fibroids also did not contain the enzyme. A drug that inhibits telomerase might be an effective anti-cancer drug, since it would not affect normal cells that do not contain the enzyme. The human gene for telomerase has yet to be identified.

Health aspects, Telomeres

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The importance of defining the paraneoplastic neurologic disorders

Article Abstract:

Research on paraneoplastic syndromes reveals that they may be caused by antibodies against tumors. Paraneoplastic syndromes are non-cancerous diseases that often occur in cancer patients. In many patients, the syndrome affects the brain and nervous system. A 1999 study found that men with testicular cancer produced antibodies against a protein that occurred on the tumor as well as in the brain. This indicates that the neurologic symptoms may be caused by an immune response to the tumor.

Editorial, Paraneoplastic syndromes

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Yeast, flies, worms, and fish in the study of human disease

Article Abstract:

The use of lower animals to identify the normal and abnormal function of genes and their proteins is reviewed. In this case, the animals are the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, and the zebrafish Danio rerio. This can be done because most genes and proteins have persisted throughout evolution and these animals reproduce rapidly.

Models, Genetic disorders, Animal models in research, Animal research models

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