Do telomere shortening and inactivation of cell cycle checkpoints characterize human hepatocarcinogenesis?
The inactivation of cell cycle checkpoints coincides with further telomere shortening and an accumulation of DNA damage in SCC and HCC, suggesting that SCC represent more advanced precursor lesions compared with LCC.
The combination of As-ODN-hTR and ATRA has a synergistic anti-tumor effect. This anti-tumor effect can be mainly attributed to apoptosis induced by a decrease in telomerase activity. Bcl-2 plays an important role in this process. Therefore, combining As-ODN-hTR and ATRA may be an approach for the treatment of human oral squamous cell carcinoma.