Role of Telomeric Repeat Binding Factor 1 (TRF1) in Telomere Maintenance and as a Potential Prognostic Indicator in Human Breast Cancer

摘要

The aims of this study are to (i) determine the relationships between the telomere binding protein Telomere Repeat Binding Factor 1 (TRF1) and other telomere binding proteins, (ii) establish the potential of TRF1 as a surrogate marker for telomere content (TC) and as a potential clinical marker and (iii) characterize the relationship between of the telomere binding protein TRF1 and TC. Through examining the role of TRF1 in telomere length control and in breast cancer progression, this project also fosters the education of the candidate through the interaction with several experts in breast cancer pathology, biostatistics, and clinical and basic research. The experiments involved require the interaction with professionals from several different fields of the biomedical sciences and the mastery of several challenging laboratory techniques. To date, all tasks; as outlined in the Statement of Work, are complete.