TERT promoter mutations in adrenal tumours

The telomerase reverse transcriptase gene (TERT) is essential for telomere stabilization and cell immortalization. A role for TERT promoter mutations C228T and C250T has been demonstrated in aggressive human cancer. The underlying mechanisms of telomerase activation is not known in adrenal tumors. Liu and colleagues assessed C228T and C250T TERT mutations, finding that TERT promoter mutation C228T is a recurrent event associated with adrenocortical carcinoma, but rarely occurs in paraganglioma or pheochromocytoma. The involvement of the TERT gene in adrenocortical carcinoma is a new finding.

Read the full article at Liu et al. (2014) Endocrine-Related Cancer 21 427–434; DOI:10.1530/ERC-14-0016