Patent ID: 7585622

Claim:
A method of increasing the proliferative capacity of a mammalian cell expressing telomerase RNA component, comprising introducing into the cell in vitro a recombinant polynucleotide that encodes a protein comprising SEQ. ID NO:2, or fragment of SEQ. ID NO:2 that contains the telomerase T motif: Trp-X 12 -Phe-Phe-Tyr-X-Thr-Glu-X 10-11 -Arg-X 3 -Trp-X 7 -Ile (SEQ. ID NO:352) wherein X 12 is any 12 amino acids each chosen independently; wherein X is any amino acid; wherein X 10-11 is any 10 or 11 amino acids each chosen independently; wherein X 3 is any 3 amino acids each chosen independently; and wherein X 7 is any 7 amino acids each chosen independently; wherein the encoded protein has telomerase catalytic activity when complexed with a telomerase RNA component, and whereby introducing the recombinant polynucleotide into the cell increases the proliferative capacity of the cell.