AUTHOR=Dratwa Marta , Wysoczańska Barbara , Łacina Piotr , Kubik Tomasz , Bogunia-Kubik Katarzyna 

TITLE=TERT—Regulation and Roles in Cancer Formation

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Immunology

VOLUME=11

YEAR=2020

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2020.589929

DOI=10.3389/fimmu.2020.589929

ISSN=1664-3224

ABSTRACT=<p>Telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) is a catalytic subunit of telomerase. Telomerase complex plays a key role in cancer formation by telomere dependent or independent mechanisms. Telomere maintenance mechanisms include complex <italic>TERT</italic> changes such as gene amplifications, <italic>TERT</italic> structural variants, <italic>TERT</italic> promoter germline and somatic mutations, <italic>TERT</italic> epigenetic changes, and alternative lengthening of telomere. All of them are cancer specific at tissue histotype and at single cell level<italic>. TERT</italic> expression is regulated in tumors <italic>via</italic> multiple genetic and epigenetic alterations which affect telomerase activity. Telomerase activity <italic>via TERT</italic> expression has an impact on telomere length and can be a useful marker in diagnosis and prognosis of various cancers and a new therapy approach. In this review we want to highlight the main roles of <italic>TERT</italic> in different mechanisms of cancer development and regulation.</p>