IMR Press / FBL / Volume 17 / Issue 4 / DOI: 10.2741/3992

Frontiers in Bioscience-Landmark (FBL) is published by IMR Press from Volume 26 Issue 5 (2021). Previous articles were published by another publisher on a subscription basis, and they are hosted by IMR Press on imrpress.com as a courtesy and upon agreement with Frontiers in Bioscience.

Article
DNA repair mechanisms protect our genome from carcinogenesis
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1 Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sao Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 1374, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
2 Institute of Biophysics Carlos Chagas Filho, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
Front. Biosci. (Landmark Ed) 2012, 17(4), 1362–1388; https://doi.org/10.2741/3992
Published: 1 January 2012
Abstract

Human cells are constantly exposed to DNA damage. Without repair, damage can result in genetic instability and eventually cancer. The strong association between the lack of DNA damage repair, mutations and cancer is dramatically demonstrated by a number of cancer-prone human syndromes, such as xeroderma pigmentosum (XP), ataxia-telangiectasia (AT) and Fanconi anemia (FA). This review focuses on the historical discoveries related with these three diseases and describes their impact on the understanding of DNA repair mechanisms and the causes of human cancer. As deficiencies in DNA repair are also often related with progeria symptoms, unrepaired damage and aging are somehow related. Several other pathologies associated with DNA repair defects, genetic instability and increased cancer risk are also discussed. In fact, studies with cells from these many syndromes have helped in understanding important levels of protection against cancer and aging, although little help has actually been conferred to the patients in terms of therapy. Finally, the recent advances in combined basic and translational research on DNA repair and chemotherapy are presented.

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