Public Health Relevance Statement: Cells have the remarkable capability to repair DNA damage by several pathways, including base excision repair (BER). Failure to repair DNA damage has the potential to lead to cancer. We have and will continue to identify functional human germline mutations that are likely to confer cancer susceptibility to individuals carrying them, as well as mutations in tumors that convey sensitivity or resistance to particular cancer treatments. Importantly, using a combination of functional approaches, we will gain insight as to why the proteins produced by these mutant genes may influence carcinogenesis or cancer treatment. As personalized medicine becomes the paradigm, these studies will have a major impact on cancer etiology and prevention as well as provide the basis for predictive biomarkers for cancer therapies.
The PO1 has four projects and three cores, which are summarized below.