Several mechanisms can lead to the reactivation of hTERT in cancer cells. One of the most common is through mutations in the promoter region of the hTERT gene. These mutations create new binding sites for transcription factors, leading to increased expression of hTERT. In addition, epigenetic changes, such as DNA methylation and histone modifications, can also upregulate hTERT expression. Furthermore, oncogenic signaling pathways, such as the MAPK and PI3K/AKT pathways, can activate hTERT transcription.
