Replicative Immortality

This lecture explores the concept of replicative immortality, a hallmark capability of cancer cells, which involves the evasion of stress signals and the avoidance of telomere erosion to enable indefinite cell replication. The presentation covers the morphological signs of replicative senescence, the Hayflick experiment demonstrating replicative senescence, and the role of telomerase in maintaining telomeres. It delves into the progressive telomere erosion accompanying cellular aging, the structure and function of telomeres, and the impact of telomerase activity on cancer prognosis. Additionally, the lecture discusses the activation of p53 in response to telomere shortening, the role of shelterin components in protecting telomeres, and the consequences of telomere loss in p53-deficient cells.