Kinases and DNA damage

Proper regulation and control of the DNA damage response is needed to suppress alterations in the genome that may result in cancer. A group of proteins known to play an important role in the DNA damage response is kinases. Indeed, many kinases are mutated in a variety of human cancers. However, when taken as a whole, it is apparent that the large majority of kinases are understudied. We established and performed an assay that allowed us to map which kinases are important in responding to DNA damage. We identified four kinases that are particularly interesting to study since they have been reported to play an important role in cancer. Hence the aim of this project is to better characterise and understand how these four kinases response to DNA damage, especially the types of DNA damage used as chemotherapy. We envisage that this research may lead to the better treatment of patients with cancer due to mutations in the identified kinases since paradoxically DNA damaging agents have been used as effective chemotherapeutic agents for several decades.

No additional funding sources recorded.