This course will examine the types of damage that occur to DNA both endogenously and due to chemical and physical agents and the mutagenic and carcinogenic potential of this damage. The basic mechanisms by which damage to DNA induced by these agents is repaired, such as excision repair, mismatch repair, and transcription-coupled DNA repair will be examined as well as how DNA damage can be tolerated. The functional consequences of defects in these processes will be discussed and the pathological changes that result from these deficiencies. The importance of nuclear architecture in the DNA damage response and the role the DNA damage response plays in tumor response to radiation and chemotherapy will be discussed. The role of defective DNA repair mechanisms in cancer development and in the progression of various diseases such as xeroderma pigmentosum, Fanconi anemia and Blooms’s syndrome will also be examined. This course will consist of mainly lectures accompanied by short student presentations. Students will be graded on their oral presentation, which will include a short power point presentation, and a written exam.
Please click here to download the Spring 2022 course description.
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