端粒延长途径选择的影响因素

The factors determining pathways of lengthening of telomere

肿瘤发生与端粒维持密切相关，大部分肿瘤细胞的端粒维持是通过端粒酶途径，而少部分肿瘤细胞是通过非端粒酶依赖途径，即所谓的端粒替代延长机制实现端粒维持。端粒延长途径的选择在不同水平如细胞、蛋白、基因水平会受多因素的影响即端粒本身结构的完整性、染色体的稳定性、细胞周期、组蛋白等因素影响。了解这些影响因素，有利于进一步研究阻断端粒延长途径的药物，从而控制肿瘤的无限增长，有效治疗肿瘤。

Telomere maintenance is correlated with the genesis of tumor, majority of tumors depend on the telomerase to maintain its function, but minority of tumors use pathway independent of the-telomerase, that is the alternative way of lengthening（ALT）. This choice of pathway is determined by several factors in different aspects, such as cells level, proteins level and genes level, the factors include the integrity of the telomere, the chromosome stability, the cell cycle and histone. Complete understandings of these factors help us to find some drugs to inhibit this alternative pathway and control the progression of the tumor, and then we can treat tumors more efficiently.