Identifying therapeutical opportunities within replicative stress response pathways for the development of novel therapeutic strategies

The interaction between DNA damage responses and telomere elongation is important for both fundamental and clinical perspectives. Alternative Lengthening of Telomeres (ALT) allows cancer cells to achieve unlimited replicative potential by preserving their telomeres in the absence of telomerase. ALT is employed by 10-15% of cancers and is associated with mesenchymal and neuroepithelial tumours. Currently, no useful therapies exist for the treatment of ALT-reliant tumours since the exact molecular mechanisms of the ALT pathway are not fully understood. This PhD programme aims to characterise the early molecular events that allow cancer cells to initiate a productive ALT-dependent telomere maintenance.