Investigating the role of RNA dependent DNA repair in childhood cancer

This Investigating the role of RNA dependent DNA repair in childhood cancer project at University of Dundee will involve close partnership with other top labs in the UK and USA with a focus on developing treatments for DNA damage related diseases.

In this Investigating the role of RNA dependent DNA repair in childhood cancer Investigating the role of RNA dependent DNA repair in childhood cancer project at University of Dundee University of Dundee we will use advanced high-resolution microscopy, cellular biology and molecular genetics to determine how DHX9 plays such an important role in the repair of DNA damage and how defects in the function of this important protein contributes to disease, such as the childhood cancer Ewing sarcoma.

Context

Although external agents such as radiation, alcohol or cigarette smoke are responsible for a proportion of DNA damage, by far the majority of DNA damage occurs as a consequence of normal cellular processes. In the last few years, it has become apparent that an important source of DNA damage is caused by conflicts between the processes of transcription and replication that decode and duplicate our genome respectively. These transcription replication conflicts (TRCs) are greatly elevated when cellular growth is stimulated. Recently we identified a role for the RNA helicase, DHX9, in both the generation of TRCs and the repair of the DNA damage they cause.

Damage to our genetic material DNA is responsible for a wide range of human diseases including

• neurodegenerative diseases

• haematological diseases

• immune deficiencies

• early ageing

• cancers