Review
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World J Pharmacol. Dec 9, 2014; 3(4): 86-96
Published online Dec 9, 2014. doi: 10.5497/wjp.v3.i4.86
Telomerase activity: An attractive target for cancer therapeutics
Lucia Picariello, Cecilia Grappone, Simone Polvani, Andrea Galli
Lucia Picariello, Cecilia Grappone, Simone Polvani, Andrea Galli, Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences, University of Florence, 50139 Florence, Italy
Author contributions: Picariello L, Grappone C, Polvani S and Galli A contributed to this paper.
Correspondence to: Andrea Galli, MD, PhD, Professor, Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences, University of Florence, Viale Pieraccini n°6, 50139 Florence, Italy. andrea.galli@unifi.it
Telephone: +39-5-54271419 Fax: +39-5-54271297
Received: July 28, 2014
Revised: October 1, 2014
Accepted: October 28, 2014
Published online: December 9, 2014
Processing time: 136 Days and 13.2 Hours
Core Tip

Core tip: One of the hallmark of cancer is the replicative immortality of tumor cells guaranteed by telomerase activity that counteracts progressive telomere shortening during cellular replication: this makes telomerase a tumor marker and a target for anticancer drugs. In this review we summarize and update the most recent innovative studies and results on the different strategies that consider telomerase as a target for cancer therapy. In particular, we try to point out the advantages and the potentialities of some innovative approaches, compared to other, equally promising, but that need further investigations.