Products
Services
- Telomere Maintenance Mechanism Assays
- Construction of siRNA-Lenti and siLenti-EGFP vectors
- Custom Lentivirus Construction
- Lentivirus Production
- Custom Avenovirus Construction
- Adenovirus Production
- Primary Cells Immortalization
- Stable Cell Line Production
- Multiplexed Protein Assay
- Protein Production
- miRNA Profiling
- Construction of miRNA Lentivirus Vectors
- Mouse Monoclonal Antibody Production
Telomere Maintenance Mechanism Assays
Assay for Alternative Lengthening of Telomeres (ALT) in Tumors and Cell Lines.
Telomere length in some cells is maintained by an alternative mechanism, independent of any telomerase activity. Overall 10-15% of cancers rely on the ALT mechanism for continuous growth and survival. The prevalence of ALT ranges from 25% to 60% in sarcomas and 5% to 15% in carcinomas. Specific molecule for ALT, telomeric C-Circle DNA, was discovered and this enabled the first quantitative test for ALT activity. C-Circles are partially single-stranded telomeric (CCCTAA)n DNA circles that are present in 1000-fold greater abundance in ALT[+] cells than ALT[-] cells (telomerase[+] or normal somatic cells). The C-Circle assay has opened up a range of opportunities for ALT research and the clinical detection of cancers that rely on the ALT mechanism. It is the only assay for ALT that is rapidly and linearly responsive to changes in ALT activity and hence the only assay that can be used to screen for ALT inhibitors or generally measure changes in ALT activity.