Refining the telomere-telomerase hypothesis of aging and cancer.

While there has been substantial experimental evidence in support of the telomere-telomerase hypothesis of aging and cancer, it has been suggested that the theory has been oversimplified to the exclusion of alternative mechanisms in the progression of cancer. This review strives to present an overview of some of the areas that have not been well explained and to indicate where multiple interpretations of the data are possible.