端粒、端粒酶与眼部疾病

端粒是真核细胞线性染色体末端的一种特殊结构，与细胞的衰老及恶性肿瘤的发生密切相关。随着细胞的不断分裂，端粒不断缩短而趋于死亡。但端粒酶的存在却可以维持细胞端粒的长度，使细胞可以逃避凋亡而具有“不死性”。研究表明，端粒酶的活性对眼部组织的增生、细胞的衰老以及眼部肿瘤的发生具有重要的作用。我们就端粒、端粒酶的研究现状及其与眼科疾病的关系和应用进展作一综述。

Telomere, telomerase and disease of eye

Telomeres are linear chromosomal end special regions of eukaryotic cell and related intimately on the cell's aging and the developing of malignant neoplasm. In human cells, DNA polymerase is not able to completely replicate the linear DNA of the telomeres, resulting in the shorten of the telomeres with each cell division and leading to apoptosis ultimately. Telomerase is capable of synthesizing telomeric DNA onto the ends of chromosomes, compensating the telomeric sequences lost and making cell immortal. Research has indicated that telomerase has very important effect upon the eye in cell's proliferatione and senescence, especially the occurrence and development of neoplasm of eye.