How nucleotide excision repair protects against cancer.
Eukaryotic cells can repair many types of DNA damage. Among the known DNA repair processes in humans, one type--nucleotide excision repair (NER)--specifically protects against mutations caused indirectly by environmental carcinogens. Humans with a hereditary defect in NER suffer from xeroderma pigmentosum and have a marked predisposition to skin cancer caused by sunlight exposure. How does NER protect against skin cancer and possibly other types of environmentally induced cancer in humans?
Friedberg
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Department of Pathology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas 75390-9072, USA. errol.friedberg@utsouthwestern.edu
D000818:Animals; D004249:DNA Damage; D004260:DNA Repair / Q000235:genetics; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006801:Humans; D009154:Mutation; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014983:Xeroderma Pigmentosum / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics