Question

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What is the difficulty with replicating the ends of linear chromosome—diagram the problem? How do telomeres and telomerase solve this problem-diagram this? How might this knowledge be useful in developing anti-cancer therapies?

Answer 1

• The ends of the DNA doesnt contain any coding sequences. So the problem is how the ends will get replicated without mRNA. If the ends are not replicated then ultimately after a certain time, the coding regions of DNA will get deleted . So it become essential to maintain the telomeres.
• Telomerases are enzyme that has internal RNA and has reverse transcriptase activity,They function to replicate the telomeres with their internal RNA sequence.

Most of the human proliferative tissues and organs, including most somatic cells (even stem cells), exhibit progressive telomere shortening throughout life. Many studies has shown the relationship between telomere shortening and proliferative failure of human cells, that ultimately causes cancer (uncontrolled cell growth).

Most human cancers have short telomeres and express high levels of telomerase, while in most normal somatic tissues telomerase is absent.

Telomerase has been examined in many of studies as a potentially sensitive biomarker for screening, early detection of cancer, prognosis or in monitoring as an indication of future diseases. Cancer cells need a mechanism to maintain telomeres if these cells are going to divide indefinitely, and telomerase solves this problem. Anti-telomerase cancer therapy may prove useful in the prevention and detection of the cancers.