Telomerase is a ribonucleoprotein complex that catalyses the addition of TTAGGG repeats
onto telomeres, repetitive DNA structures found at the ends of linear chromosomes. The
majority of human somatic tissues do not display telomerase activity and undergo telomeric
shortening with consecutive divisions. This telomeric shortening results in replicative
senescence in vitro and likely in vivo. Telomerase activity is present in the vast majority of
tumors, preventing telomeric shortening and thereby enabling indefinite cell divisions …