Abstract

All life on earth must cope with constant exposure to DNA-damaging agents such as the Sun's radiation. Highly conserved DNA-repair and cell-cycle checkpoint pathways allow cells to deal with both endogenous and exogenous sources of DNA damage. How much an individual is exposed to these agents and how their cells respond to DNA damage are critical determinants of whether that individual will develop cancer. These cellular responses are also important for determining toxicities and responses to current cancer therapies, most of which target the DNA.

1. Department of Hematology-Oncology, St Jude Children's Research Hospital, 332 North Lauderdale Street, Memphis, Tennessee 38105, USA Email: michael.kastan@stjude.org
2. Department of Cell Cycle and Cancer, Institute of Cancer Biology, Danish Cancer Society, Strandboulevarden 49, Copenhagen DK-2100, Denmark Email: jb@cancer.dk

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