Ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T): An emerging dimension of premature ageing.

A-T is a prototype genome instability syndrome and a multifaceted disease. A-T leads to neurodegeneration - primarily cerebellar atrophy, immunodeficiency, oculocutaneous telangiectasia (dilated blood vessels), vestigial thymus and gonads, endocrine abnormalities, cancer predisposition and varying sensitivity to DNA damaging agents, particularly those that induce DNA double-strand breaks. With the recent increase in life expectancy of A-T patients, the premature ageing component of this disease is gaining greater awareness. The complex A-T phenotype reflects the ever growing number of functions assigned to the protein encoded by the responsible gene - the homeostatic protein kinase, ATM. The quest to thoroughly understand the complex A-T phenotype may reveal yet elusive ATM functions.