Sydney: In a discovery, Australian scientists have revealed a mechanism by which telomeres—the protective caps at the ends of chromosomes—actively contribute to cancer prevention. The study, led by researchers from Sydney's Children's Medical Research Institute (CMRI), highlights a previously unrecognized function of telomeres beyond their well-established role in ageing and cellular division control.
Telomeres have long been known to shorten as cells age, eventually signaling the cells to stop dividing—a natural safeguard against uncontrolled growth and cancer development. However, the latest research, published in Nature Communications, shows that telomeres are far from passive structures. Instead, they can dynamically respond to cellular stress, triggering processes that halt cell division or lead to programmed cell death.
“Our data demonstrate that telomeres are much more active than previously thought. They can acutely open up in response to stress and initiate a cellular ageing response as a defense mechanism against cancer,” explained Tony Cesare, head of the Genome Integrity Unit at CMRI.
Cesare and his team collaborated with researchers from the University of Kyoto to delve deeper into this active role of telomeres. Their findings suggest that when telomeres detect chromosomal stress or damage, they signal the cell to either stop dividing or self-destruct. This mechanism helps eliminate potentially harmful cells before they can proliferate uncontrollably and develop into cancer.
Traditionally, telomeres were understood mainly as passive elements that progressively shorten with each cell division, contributing to the ageing process and serving as a final checkpoint against unlimited cell growth. However, this study reveals that telomeres can actively influence cellular behavior under stress conditions, adding a new layer to their role in cancer prevention.
Cesare believes that these insights may have significant implications for cancer therapy. Targeting telomeres to induce controlled cell death in cancerous cells could become a novel strategy in treating the disease.
According to the World Health Organization, cancer remains a leading cause of death worldwide, with around 20 million new cases and nearly 10 million deaths estimated in 2022. This discovery offers new hope for developing more effective treatments by harnessing the natural defenses within our cells.