TERC
Overview
TERC encodes the RNA component of telomerase, the enzyme that maintains telomere length. Located on chromosome 3q26, TERC is frequently gained as part of broad 3q arm-level copy-number alterations in squamous cell carcinomas, particularly head and neck and oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCC). Its gain is considered a candidate cancer driver in the context of 3q amplification events.
Alterations observed in the corpus
- Candidate cancer driver on 3q; copy gain identified in OSCC as part of the 3q arm-level gain that also includes PIK3CA and PRKCI PMID:23619168.
- Focal amplification identified as a recurrent significant peak in LUAD copy-number analysis (TCGA, n=230). PMID:25079552
- TERC is a chr_3q oncogene whose gain is invoked to explain the squamous chr_3q-gain signature and the rescue of proliferation when AALE 3p-deleted subclones acquire chromosome-3 duplication PMID:29622463
Cancer types (linked)
- OSCC: Recurrent 3q arm gain includes TERC as a candidate driver; 3q amplification is one of the most prevalent copy-number events in oral squamous cell carcinoma PMID:23619168.
Co-occurrence and mutual exclusivity
- Co-gains with PIK3CA and PRKCI on 3q in OSCC; these genes collectively define the 3q amplicon driver landscape PMID:23619168.
Therapeutic relevance
- No direct therapeutic targeting of TERC reported in the corpus; 3q gain context implicates PIK3CA-pathway inhibitors in the same tumors PMID:23619168.
Open questions
- The specific oncogenic contribution of TERC copy gain (vs. co-gained drivers PIK3CA/PRKCI) in OSCC remains to be determined functionally PMID:23619168.
Sources
This page was processed by crosslinker on 2026-05-09. - PMID:25079552
This page was processed by wiki-cli on 2026-05-11. - PMID:29622463
This page was processed by wiki-cli on 2026-05-15.