DNA damage: from causes to cures - The Biochemical Society Annual Symposium

15 - 17 December 2008, Cambridge, United Kingdom

Introduction

All cells contain a diverse range of repair pathways that have evolved to optimize their survival following damage to their DNA. These pathways involve the actions of a large number of DNA repair proteins to remove the damage and maintain genome stability. Clearly, when these processes do not function correctly, a likely result will be instability of the genome. A large body of experimental data has demonstrated that such genetic instability can cause a wide variety of human diseases. This meeting will highlight recent major advances in understanding biochemical details about how DNA repair intersects with cellular pathways that lead to cancer or ageing. The meeting is particularly timely since it is now apparent that these biochemical processes offer significant potential for novel therapies to treat diseases such as cancer.