Long-Sought Structure of Telomerase Paves Way for New Drugs for Aging, Cancer

A new paper published in the journal Nature provides the first detailed picture of the 3D molecular structure of the human telomerase enzyme, which should jumpstart a long-sought-after effort to develop telomerase-based anti-aging drugs and anticancer drugs, reports EurekAlert . More than 30 years ago, when University of California, Berkeley researchers discovered telomerase—an enzyme that lengthens chromosome ends and prevents them from fraying enough to kill a cell—speculation ran wild about its role in aging and cancer, spurring efforts to produce drugs to activate or block the enzyme. Many scientists believe that depleted telomeres are a major cause of aging. However, one obstacle has been obtaining pure samples of this complex molecule. Without knowing the structure, it has been difficult to design a drug to target the molecular machine and either destroy telomerase activity—which could stop a cancer that has boosted its telomerase levels—or restart telomerase, perhaps to prime the body for rapid cell division after a bone marrow transplant. The UC Berkley scientists used a new, state-of-the-art cryoelectron microscope to reveal details of protein, RNA binding, and possible drug-target sites. The newly revealed structure still lacks fine detail, but together with knowledge of the gene sequence of human telomerase, it offers enough information to allow more targeted drug screens and intelligent design of new drugs.