Knowing DNA Repair Toolkit to Chart Cancer Evolution by Angela Mohan on February 18, 2021 at 3:40 PM
Deficiencies in DNA repair pathways increase the instability of the genes, and this causes cancer to develop.
Therefore, detailed knowledge of how DNA repair pathways participate in this process is crucial for tracking tumor progression, understanding the emergence of drug resistance, and developing efficient therapeutic interventions.
To this end, a group of scientists from China examined five critical DNA repair pathways and their impact on cancer evolution by reviewing the findings of the latest published research. So, it is not surprising that particularly defective DNA repair pathways are associated with specific cancers.
DNA repair pathways exist to correct molecular damage caused by internal and external factors. However, any damage to these pathways can result in the creation of tumors and specific types of cancers.
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IMAGE: Studying the intricacies of DNA repair mechanisms may help us understand cancer evolution better, and even provide us the weapons to fight cancer. view more
Credit: Cancer Biology & Medicine
The ongoing fight of science against cancer has made great strides, but cancer cells have not made it easy. The complexity of cancer cells and their adaptive evolutionary nature complicate the search for effective cures. Multiple DNA repair pathways in healthy cells typically work to rectify DNA damages caused by sources within the organism, like spontaneous DNA mutations, or from outside, like ultraviolet radiation.
But what happens when these pathways malfunction? It is known that deficiencies in these pathways increase the instability of the genes, and this causes cancer to develop. Therefore, detailed knowledge of how DNA repair pathways participate in this process is crucial for tracking tumor progression, understanding the emergence of drug resistance, and de