Léa Harrington

Accredited Professor

Contact Information

Institut de Recherche en Immunologie et Cancérologie
Université de Montréal
Pavillon Marcelle-Coutu, bureau 1371
C.P. 6128, Succ. Centre-ville
Montréal (Québec)
H3C 3J7

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T 514 343-6729
F 514 343-6843
lea.harrington@umontreal.ca

Themes

Lea Harrington and her colleagues pursue the mechanisms by which chromosome ends, telomeres, are maintained and protected from degradation and recombination. The activity of an enzyme responsible for new telomere addition in most eukaryotes, telomerase, is increased in many cancers and conversely is decreased in many somatic tissues. Since critically short telomeres that elicit a DNA damage response are incompatible with cell viability, the regulation of telomerase activity and dosage is thus a critical determinant of normal and cancer cell proliferation.