Low-power red laser and blue LED modulate telomere maintenance and length in human breast cancer cells.

Cancer cells have the ability to undergo an unlimited number of cell divisions, which gives them immortality. Thus, the cancer cell can extend the length of its telomeres, allowing these cells to divide unlimitedly and avoid entering the state of senescence or cellular apoptosis. One of the main effects of photobiomodulation (PBM) is the increase in the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and free radicals, mainly reactive oxygen species (ROS). Existent data indicates that high levels of ROS can cause shortening and dysfunctional telomeres. Therefore, a better understanding of the effects induced by PBM on cancer cell telomere maintenance is needed. This work aimed to evaluate the effects of low-power red laser (658 nm) and blue LED (470 nm) on the TRF1 and TRF2 mRNA levels and telomere length in human breast cancer cells. MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells were irradiated with a low-power red laser (69 J cm-2, 0.77 W/cm-2) and blue LED (482 J cm-2, 5.35 W/cm-2), alone or in combination, and the relative mRNA levels of the genes and telomere length were assessed by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. The results suggested that exposure to certain red laser and blue LED fluences decreased the TRF1 and TRF2 mRNA levels in both human breast cancer cells. Telomere length was increased in MCF-7 cells after exposure to red laser and blue LED. However, telomere length in MDA-MB-231 was shortened after exposure to red laser and blue LED at fluences evaluated. Our research suggests that photobiomodulation induced by red laser and low-power blue LED could alter telomere maintenance and length.

[Telomeres and genomic damage repair. Their implication in human pathology]. / Telómeros y reparación de daño genómico. Su implicancia en patología humana.

Telomeres, functional complexes that protect eukaryotic chromosome ends, participate in the regulation of cell proliferation and could play a role in the stabilization of genomic regions in response to genotoxic stress. Their significance in human pathology becomes evident in several diseases sharing genomic instability as a common trait, in which alterations of the telomere metabolism have been demonstrated. Many of them are also associated with hypersensitivity to ionizing radiation and cancer susceptibility. Besides the specific proteins belonging to the telomeric complex, other proteins involved in the DNA repair machinery, such as ATM, BRCA1, BRCA2, PARP/tankyrase system, DNA-PK and RAD50-MRE11-NBS1 complexes, are closely related with the telomere. This suggests that the telomere sequesters DNA repair proteins for its own structure maintenance, which could also be released toward damaged sites in the genomic DNA. This communication describes essential aspects of telomere structure and function and their links with homologous recombination, non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ), V(D)J system and mismatch-repair (MMR). Several pathological conditions exhibiting alterations in some of these mechanisms are also considered. The cell response to ionizing radiation and its relationship with the telomeric metabolism is particularly taken into account as a model for studying genotoxicity.

Telómeros y reparación de daño genómico. Su implicancia en patologia humana / Telomeres and genomic damage repair. Their implication in human pathology

Los telómeros, complejos funcionales que protegen los extremos de los cromosomas eucariotes, participan en la regulación de la proliferación celular y pueden jugar un rol en la estabilización de cier-tas regiones del genoma en respuesta a estrés genotóxico. Su relevancia en patología humana se ha puesto de manifiesto en numerosas enfermedades que comparten como rasgo común la inestabilidad genómica, en las que se comprobaron alteraciones del metabolismo telomérico. Muchas de ellas se encuentran asociadas a hipersensi-bilidad a radiaciones ionizantes y susceptibilidad al cáncer. Además de las proteínas específicas que forman partedel complejo telomérico otras proteínas implicadas en la maquinaria de reparación del ADN tales como ATM,BRCA1, BRCA2 , sistema PARP/ tankirasa, complejo DNA-PK, y complejo RAD50- MRE11-NBS1, se encuentran en estrecha asociación con el mismo. Esto sugiere que el telómero secuestra proteínas de reparación para el mantenimiento de su propia estructura, las que podrían asimismo ser liberadas hacia sitios de daño en el ADN genómico. Esta comunicación describe los aspectos más relevantes de la estructura y función de los telómeros y su vinculación con los procesos de recombinación homóloga, recombinación no homóloga (NHEJ), sistema V(D)J y sistemas de reparación de apareamientos erróneos (MMR), considerando ciertas condiciones patológicas que exhiben alteraciones en algunos estos mecanismos. Se aborda en forma particular la respuesta celular a las ra-diaciones ionizantes y su relación con el metabolismo telomérico como un modelo de estudio de genotoxicidad (AU)

Telomeric associations in cigarette smokers exposed to low levels of X-rays.

Telomeric association (TA), i.e. fusion of chromosomes by their telomeres, predisposes a cell to genetic instability. Because of this we investigated the effect of X-rays exposure and cigarette smoking on the frequency of TA in peripheral blood lymphocytes of exposed individuals, in order to determine if TA can be a chromosomal marker in populations exposed to these carcinogens and if there is an synergistic effect between both agents. We found that the exposed groups show a greater percentage of TA when compared with the control group (P<0.001). However, although the percentage of metaphases with TA in the group with combined exposure (12.6%) was greater than in the others exposed groups (P<0.05), this value was less than the sum of the two individual effects (15.1%). Our results suggest that probably there is not an additive or synergistic effect between X-rays and smoking, and that TA may be a useful cytogenetic marker for evaluating populations exposed to mutagens.