Structural and Biochemical Analysis of Telomerase Function

描述（由申请人提供）：单一酶端粒酶的不适当激活与在多达90%的人类癌症中观察到的细胞不受控制的增殖有关。自20世纪90年代中期端粒酶首次在人类肿瘤中被发现以来，科学家们一直将这种酶视为开发广泛有效的抗癌药物的理想靶点。端粒酶在癌症中的重要作用使其成为重要的药物靶点。我提出了一个结构生物学的方法来检查端粒酶的功能和它在人类疾病中的作用。结构数据在解释和设计生物化学和生物物理实验方面可以证明是非常宝贵的。它也可以成为药物发现的一个非常强大的工具。我的研究计划的长期目标是利用结构生物学，结合生物化学来了解端粒酶如何复制端粒末端，并将这些信息应用于抗癌疗法的研究。 公共卫生相关性：端粒酶与癌症、心血管疾病和衰老有关。因此，我们的目标是阐明这种酶的生物学功能，并利用这些信息来对抗癌症和与年龄相关的疾病。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Inappropriate activation of a single enzyme, telomerase, is associated with the uncontrolled proliferation of cells seen in as many as 90 percent of all human cancers. Since the mid-1990s, when telomerase was first identified in human tumors, scientists have eyed the enzyme as an ideal target for developing broadly effective anti-cancer drugs. The important role of telomerase in cancer makes this enzyme an important drug target. I propose a structural biology approach to examine the function of telomerase and its role in human disease. Structural data can prove invaluable in explaining, as well as designing, biochemical and biophysical experiments. It can also be a very powerful tool for drug discovery. The long-term goal of my research plan is to use structural biology, in conjunction with biochemistry to understand how telomerase replicates telomere ends, and to apply this information to the pursuit of anti-cancer therapies. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Telomerase has been implicated in cancer, cardiovascular disease and aging. For this reason, our goal is to elucidate the biological function of this enzyme and use this information to combat cancer and age-related diseases.