Genome instability can cause numerous diseases. Cells have effective DNA repair mechanisms at their disposal. A research team at the University of Würzburg has now gained new insights into the DNA damage response.
However, other factors are also responsible for the accumulation of DNA damage in the course of a person's life: exposure to sunlight, alcohol and cigarettes are just a few examples of factors that are known to damage the genetic material and thus can cause cancer, among other things.
Of course, the cell is not powerless in the face of such lesions. It has an extensive catalog of cellular mechanisms that are set in motion following DNA damage. DNA damage response, or DDR for short, is the technical term for this. Specific signaling pathways usually initiate the immediate recognition and repair of DNA damage, thus ensuring the survival of the cell.
A new look at the DNA damage response
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