Advances In Dna Damage And Repair

In recent years the field of DNA repair has flourished due to new findings on DNA repair mechanisms and the molecular basis of cancer. This volume covers the most recent developments in this research field and contains contributions from scientists working in various fields.

This book edition is intended to provide a concise summary for select topics in DNA repair, a field that is ever-expanding in complexity and biologic significance. The topics reviewed ranged from fundamental mechanisms of DNA repair to the interface between DNA repair and a spectrum on cellular process to the clinical relevance of DNA repair in oncologic paradigms. The information in this text should provide a foundation from which one can explore the various topics in depth. The book serve as a supplementary text in seminar courses with focus on DNA repair as well as a general reference for scholars with an interest in DNA repair.

In recent years the field of DNA repair has flourished due to new findings on DNA repair mechanisms and the molecular basis of cancer. This volume covers the most recent developments in this research field and contains contributions from scientists working in various fields.

Jac A. Nickoloff and Merl F. Hoekstra update and expand their two earlier acclaimed volumes (Vol. I: DNA Repair in Prokaryotes and Lower Eukaryotes and Vol. II: DNA Repair in Higher Eurkaryotes) with cutting-edge reviews by leading authorities of primary experimental findings about DNA repair processes in cancer biology. The reviews cover a wide range of topics from viruses and prokaryotes to higher eukaryotes, and include several new topics, among them the role of recombination in replication of damaged DNA, X-ray crystallographic analysis of DNA repair protein structures, DNA repair proteins and teleomere function, and the roles of BRCA1 and BRCA2 in DNA repair. Authoritative and up-to-date, DNA Damage and Repair, Vol. III: Advances from Phage to Humans surveys the rapidly moving research in DNA damage and repair, and explains the important functional relationships among different DNA repair pathways and the relationship between DNA repair pathways, cancer etiology, and cancer therapies.

The ?eld of cellular responses to DNA damage has attained widespread recognition and interest in recent years commensurate with its fundamental role in the ma- tenance of genomic stability. These responses, which are essential to preventing cellular death or malignant transformation, are organized into a sophisticated s- tem designated the “DNA damage response”. This system operates in all living organisms to maintain genomic stability in the face of constant attacks on the DNA from a variety of endogenous by-products of normal metabolism, as well as exogenous agents such as radiation and toxic chemicals in the environment. The response repairs DNA damage via an intricate cellular signal transduction network that coordinates with various processes such as regulation of DNA replication, tr- scriptional responses, and temporary cell cycle arrest to allow the repair to take place. Defects in this system result in severe genetic disorders involving tissue degeneration, sensitivity to speci?c damaging agents, immunode?ciency, genomic instability, cancer predisposition and premature aging. The ?nding that many of the crucial players involved in DNA damage response are structurally and functionally conserved in different species spurred discoveries of new players through similar analyses in yeast and mammals. We now understand the chain of events that leads to instantaneous activation of the massive cellular responses to DNA lesions. This book summarizes several new concepts in this rapidly evolving ?eld, and the advances in our understanding of the complex network of processes that respond to DNA damage.

The book consists of 31 chapters, divided into six parts. Each chapter is written by one or several experts in the corresponding area. The scope of the book varies from the DNA damage response and DNA repair mechanisms to evolutionary aspects of DNA repair, providing a snapshot of current understanding of the DNA repair processes. A collection of articles presented by active and laboratory-based investigators provides a clear understanding of the recent advances in the field of DNA repair.

​A comprehensive review of the recent developments in DNA repair research that have potential for translational applications. The book explains in detail the various biological mechanisms by which cancer cells can circumvent anticancer therapy and limits its usefulness in patients. They also review the impact of such novel inhibitors of DNA repair mechanisms as methylguanine-DNA-methyltransferase. Also examined are inhibitors of other DNA repair enzymes such as PARP and DNA-PK. The book captures-for both cancer researchers and oncologists dealing with hallmark "relapse" or "drug resistance" phenomena on a daily basis-the many exciting new uses of DNA repair inhibitors, either alone or in combination with anticancer therapies.​