TERF1 and melanoma: Furthermore, a previous in vitro study demonstrated that telomere dysfunction may increase DDP sensitivity in melanoma cells (17) and an increasing number of proteins have been discovered to interact with telomere DNA repeats; for example, telomere protection, function, and length appear to depend on the shelterin protein complex [telomeric repeat binding factor 1 (TRF1), TRF2, TPP1 (formerly known as TINT1, PTOP and PIP), protection of telomere 1 (POT1), TRF1-interacting nuclear factor (TIN2), and TRF2-interacting protein 1 (TRF2IP)] (18).