Human telomeric G‐quadruplex: The current status of telomeric G‐quadruplexes as therapeutic targets in human cancer
2009; Wiley; Volume: 277; Issue: 5 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1111/j.1742-4658.2009.07463.x
ISSN1742-4658
Autores Tópico(s)RNA Interference and Gene Delivery
ResumoThe 3'-ends of human chromosomal DNA terminate in short single-stranded guanine-rich tandem-repeat sequences. In cancer cells, these are associated with the telomere-maintenance enzyme telomerase together with the end-binding protein hPOT1. Small molecules that can compete with these proteins and induce the single-stranded DNA to form quadruplex-ligand complexes are, in effect, able to expose these 3'-ends, which results in the activation of a DNA damage response and selective inhibition of cell growth. Several of these G-quadruplex binding molecules have shown promising anticancer activity in tumour xenograft models, which indicate that the approach may be applicable to the treatment of a wide range of human cancers. This minireview summarizes the available data on these compounds and the challenges posed for drug discovery.
Referência(s)