Question

Approximately 90% of human cancer cells exhibit significant levels of telomerase. Does this mean that telomerase is an oncogene?

Answer 1

Answer:

No, telomerase is not an oncogene. It prevents the senescence that would occur due to shortened telomeres, but the cell proliferation might still be mitogen-dependent.

Explanation

telomerase is not responsible for causing  deregulation while oncogenes cause deregulation .

Telomeres length shorten after the cell division which stops them to divide again and cell die.

Telomerase prevents this decline in some kinds of cells, including stem cells, by lengthening telomeres, and the hope was that activating the enzyme could  prevent senescence.