Grant: Operating Grant

All cancers initiate through genetic mutations that arise as a result of damage to DNA. Our cells contain elaborate mechanisms that have evolved to recognize and repair damaged DNA, thereby protecting our genetic information. Our lab studies the proteins that are involved in detecting DNA damage and repairing the damage. This grant focuses on the DNA repair enzyme polynucleotide kinase/phosphatase (PNKP), which is a critical enzyme in the repair of broken DNA ends. Mutations in PNKP make human cells highly sensitive to DNA damage, and also are associated with a form of a developmental neurological disorder called MCSZ. This grant aims to understand how PNKP recognizes and repairs broken DNA ends, and how it interacts with other proteins to help in the DNA repair process. This work will provide insights that will help us to develop molecules that inhibit PNKP function that could provide leads in the development of new cancer therapies.