Sierra Sciences, Inc.

Christopher A Foster

William H Andrews

Laura A Briggs

Hamid Mohammadpour

Stephanie Fraser

Mieczyslaw A Piatyszek

Lancer K Brown

Federico C A Gaeta

Thomas M Petroff

Jian Zhang

October Pawlik

Tom Kerley

Jessica Wheeler

Munirathnam Chaguturu

Penelope Burke

Beril Karakas

Brad A Baillio

Chad B Jeppesen

John H Posselius

Daniel J Morwood

Bret T Turpin

Telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) expression enhancing compounds, and methods for using the same, are provided. In some embodiments, the compounds are azoles, such as such as pyrazoles, imidazoles, triazoles, tetrazoles, thiazoles, isothiazoles, oxazoles, and isoxazoles. In certain embodiments, the azole compound includes an acyl substituent which includes an amide, for example, an alkyl amide. Methods of interest include contacting cells with a TERT expression enhancing effective amount of compound to increase TERT expression in the cells. These compounds and methods find use in a variety of applications in which increased expression of telomerase reverse transcriptase is desired.

Telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) expression enhancing compounds and methods for using the same

Telomerase repressor proteins and nucleic acid compositions encoding the same are provided. The subject repressor proteins bind to a repressor site in the TERT minimal promoter, e.g., a Site C site, and thereby inhibit TERT expression. Also provided are methods of modulating, e.g., inhibiting or enhancing, TERT expression. The subject invention finds use in a variety of different applications, including therapeutic and therapeutic agent screening applications.

Telomerase expression repressor proteins and methods of using the same

Methods and compositions are provided for modulating, e.g., increasing or decreasing, the expression of telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT). In the subject methods, the binding interaction of the GC-Box 5 repressor site with a repressor protein (or protein complex including the same) is modulated to achieve the desired change in TERT expression. The subject methods and compositions find use in a variety of different applications, including the immortalization of cells, the production of reagents for use in life science research, therapeutic applications; therapeutic agent screening applications; and the like.

Methods and compositions for modulating telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) expression

Methods and compositions for assaying an agent for TERT promoter modulatory activity are provided. In the subject methods, an agent is contacted with a cell comprising a mutant telomerase structural RNA component (TR) that results in a detectable phenotype in the presence of telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT). Also provided are compositions, systems and kits thereof, as well as devices, that find use in practicing the subject methods. The subject invention finds use in assaying agents for TERT promoter modulatory activity, such as in a high throughput format.

Assays for TERT promoter modulatory agents using a telomerase structural RNA component

Methods and compositions are provided for modulating, and generally upregulating, the expression of telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) by blocking repression of TERT transcription, e.g., by inhibiting binding of repressor factor to a Site C repressor binding site located in the TERT minimal promoter. The subject methods and compositions find use in a variety of different applications, including the immortalization of cells, the production of reagents for use in life science research, therapeutic applications; therapeutic agent screening applications; and the like. In further describing the subject invention, the methods and compositions of the invention are described first in greater detail, followed by a review of the various applications in which the subject invention finds use.

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Carmichael, CA, United States of America

Christopher A Foster