DNA Damage

Vanderbilt biochemists have discovered that the protein RADX has different biological effects at sites of DNA synthesis, depending on the cellular conditions — even though it works the same way in both stressed and unstressed cells. Read More

Deborah Lannigan and colleagues identify a key regulator of the estrogen receptor and suggest that its downregulation by oral contraceptives may increase oxidative stress and DNA damage, a common cause of cancer. Read More

After discovering a new mechanism for DNA damage repair last year, Vanderbilt biochemists now provide direct evidence for how it works. Read More

Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center scientists have discovered a role for a tumor suppressor protein in skin wound healing. Read More

David Cortez and colleagues have found that a protein called RADX helps modulate a protein called RAD51 in order to make sure exactly the correct amount of DNA repair occurs. Read More

Vanderbilt researchers describe how certain tuberculosis treatments work and suggest these medications may overcome the threat of drug-resistant tuberculosis. Read More

New findings suggest that oxidative stress damages mitochondrial DNA, and they link this damage to a disease state. Read More

Structural details about a protein involved in the repair of damaged DNA provide insight into xeroderma pigmentosum disorders, which are characterized by increased risk for skin cancer. Read More

New findings shed light on how enzymes that replicate DNA skip over mutations that might cause cancer and restart DNA synthesis further away. Read More

Vanderbilt researchers have determined that a previously uncharacterized protein responds to DNA replication stress and has an essential role in maintaining the integrity of the genome. Read More

Vanderbilt investigators have discovered details about the mechanism of an important DNA repair protein that maintains genome stability. Read More

Telomeres – the caps on the end of chromosomes – are a source of stress for a particular protein involved in copying DNA, a new study reports. Read More

Vanderbilt and Stanford investigators have discovered how a protein that's part of the DNA replication "machinery" helps cells tolerate DNA damage. Read More

Insights into the workings of DNA damage response proteins such as SMARCAL1 could suggest new ways to improve genome integrity and prevent cancer. Read More

Studies of a human polymerase that replicates DNA have provided a complete kinetic and structural framework for understanding how the enzyme accurately bypasses DNA damage. Read More

Vanderbilt researchers have discovered new roles for a protein involved in cell death processes that are activated to prevent tumor-causing DNA mutations. Read More

Combining another drug with platinum-based chemotherapies may be more effective against ovarian cancer. Read More

Researchers have determined how a DNA lesion caused by exposure to chemicals may spark cancer formation. Read More

A protein normally known to promote cell death found to encourage survival of blood forming cells. Read More

Study finds no evidence of increased mitochondrial mutations in the children of women treated with radiation for cancer. Read More