Therapeutic Targets and Drugs I: Telomerase and Telomerase Inhibitors

Telomerase activity has been found in 85–90% of human cancers; therefore, telomerase has been proposed as a potential anticancer therapeutic target. In this chapter, we discuss the various methods to target telomerase activity and agents shown to act as specific telomerase inhibitors. First, we will introduce the hypothesis of inhibiting telomerase as a mode of cancer therapy and the original findings supporting this hypothesis. Next, the known and most actively tested targets for telomerase inhibition, including telomerase-associated proteins and telomerase's accessibility to telomeres, will be discussed. Finally, we will discuss the current status of telomerase inhibitors in the clinic.