端粒是真核细胞生物染色体两端的一种不可缺少的结构,主要由蛋白质及DNA组成,细胞末端端粒DNA的丢失可阻止细胞增殖。端粒酶是一种核糖核酸蛋白酶,由小分子RNA及蛋白质组成。端粒酶的激活可以维持端粒的长度,阻止端粒的丢失,使细胞得以永生。肿瘤细胞的无限增殖能力也依赖于端粒酶的激活。本文主要阐明了端粒及端粒酶与肿瘤的关系,并探讨了端粒酶活性检测方法及肿瘤治疗。 Telomere is an indispensable structure at both ends of the chromosome of eukaryotic cells, mainly composed of protein and DNA. The loss of telomere DNA at the end of cells prevents cell proliferation. Telomerase is a ribonuclease that consists of small RNAs and proteins. Activation of telomerase can maintain the length of the telomere, prevent the loss of telomeres, and enable the cells to live forever. The immortalizing ability of tumor cells also depends on the activation of telomerase. This article mainly elaborated the relationship between telomere and telomerase and tumor, and explored the detection method of telomerase activity and tumor treatment.