DNA repair mechanisms

Fidelity in DNA replication and maintenance of integrity are essential processes that ensure accurate copies of genetic information are passed on from generation to generation. The cell achieves this by means of cell cycle checkpoints and DNA repair mechanisms that work together to detect and repair DNA damage. The response to cancer cells treated with DNA damaging chemotherapeutics is controlled by these processes and in particular by proteins such as p53, p73, Chk1, Arg, abl, PARP and others.