ALT Telomeres Fish for Homology (VIDEO) University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine This video is under embargo. Please login to access this video. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Caption The perpetual proliferation of cancer cells requires a means to maintain telomere length. Alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT) is a poorly understood mechanism of telomere maintenance that is utilized by approximately 15% of human cancers. Induction of telomere specific DNA damage in ALT cells results in rapid directional movement of telomeres over micron distances in the nucleus. Telomere mobility is driven by a specialized homology searching mechanism that enables a damaged telomere to use another telomere on a different chromosome as a template for repair. Credit Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Usage Restrictions None License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.