Alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT) in cancer

Telomere maintenance mechanisms (TMMs), including telomerase activation and alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT), are acquired during oncogenesis, granting cancer cells limitless replication and immortality. ALT cancers, lacking telomerase, rely on homologous recombination for telomere elongation. ALT is particularly prevalent in sarcomas and central nervous system cancers, where effective targeted therapies are lacking. By combining multidisciplinary approaches using ALT cell lines and clinical cancer samples, we investigate the mechanisms underlying ALT development in sarcoma subtypes, aiming at developing improved cancer diagnostics and therapeutics.