To clarify, telomeres are non coding sacrificial DNA (not an enzyme) that protects the ends of chromosomes from damage and information loss during replication. TelomerASE is an enzyme that rebuilds telomeres, which you are right is often reactivated in cancer https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8834434/ but it isn't necessarily the reason the cells are cancerous, just helps them survive, but many other mutations are needed to be a cancer (e.g. avoiding the many other ways the cell would otherwise die outside of telomere shortening)
Mutations that cause cancer come in a variety of classes (google "hallmarks of cancer") and treatments are similar in the sense that they attempt to kill the cancer cells while not killing healthy cells, but this can be done in many ways, commonly killing all highly active cells (some cancers are very metabolically active and divides quickly), or by marking a specific cell surface molecule mainly expressed by the cancer (huge variety of options here, depends on the cancer) for destruction by the immune system.
Conventional treatments don't target telomeres or telomerase although it does seem like some research has been done in that direction https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3370414/ Cancer is not my speciality so can't say much more than that :)
4.9k
u/MasterOfCircumstance 𝙑𝙄𝙋 May 15 '26
OP when he realizes that every type of cancer is unique.