Grant: Project Grant

On a daily basis, our DNA, the genetic material that determines who we are and how we function, is under constant insult by chemicals and radiation found in the food we eat and in the environment we live. Fortunately cells in our body have evolved a number of mechanisms to ensure that damaged DNA is repaired promptly and properly so that the integrity of our DNA is maintained. One of these repair mechanisms is specifically evolved to repair DNA in which breaks occur in both strands (double strand breaks). DNA double strand breaks are extremely deleterious and if not repaired properly, they can lead to loss or deregulation of genes that help prevent cancer. As we age or in some genetic conditions, this break repair mechanism is altered or weakened, favoring the development of cancer. In addition, cancer can also arise from a disruption in the maintenance of telomeres, specialized structures found at the ends of our chromosomes. Understanding how DNA double strand breaks are repaired and how telomeres are maintained will be crucial to finding solutions to eradicate cancer or to slow down cancer progression. The proposed research aims to elucidate the role of CSB, a protein recently uncovered to play a role in DSB repair and telomere maintenance, in cancer cells. The knowledge gained from this proposed research will not only deepen our understanding of these two processes but also lay the foundation for future exploration of CSB as a target in cancer therapeutics.