Geron Corporation

Robert R Adams

William H Andrews

Alain Philippe Vasserot

Gregg B Morin

Bryant Villeponteau

Junli Feng

Serge P Lichtsteiner

Telomerase reverse transcriptase is part of the telomerase complex responsible for maintaining telomere length and increasing the replicative capacity of progenitor cells. Telomerase activity is turned off in mature differentiated cells, but is turned back on again in hyperplastic diseases, including many cancers. This disclosure provides regulatory elements that promote transcription in cells that express telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT). The disclosure also provides systems using TERT promoter sequences for identifying compounds that can be used to modulate telomerase expression.

Telomerase promoters sequences for screening telomerase modulators

The present invention is related to novel nucleic acids comprising telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) cis-acting transcriptional control sequences, including TERT human and mouse promoter sequences. The present invention is further directed to methods of using these cis-acting transcriptional control sequences, for example, to drive heterologous gene sequences; to modulate the level of transcription of TERT or to isolate novel trans-acting regulatory factors which bind to and modulate the activity of a TERT promoter.

Telomerase promoter driving expression of therapeutic gene sequences

Purified and recombinant proteins TPC2 and TPC3 and recombinant or synthetic oligonucleotides corresponding to those proteins or fragments thereof can be used to detect regulators of telomere length and telomerase activity in mammalian cells and for a variety of related diagnostic and therapeutic purposes.

Peptides related to TPC2 and TPC3, two proteins that are coexpressed with telomerase activity

Methods and reagents for regulating telomere length and telomerase

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Redwood City, CA, United States of America

Robert R Adams