U of Toronto researcher discovers key protein involved in DNA repair Discovery gives insight into the way cells protect their own genetic material

Note: in research

"In a groundbreaking study, U of T researchers including Professors Daniel Durocher, Anne‐Claude Gingras and Frank Sicheri have uncovered a protein called OTUB1 that blocks DNA damage in the cell—a discovery that may lead to the development of strategies to improve some cancer therapies.
Lead author Durocher, a senior investigator at Mount Sinai Hospital’s Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute and the Thomas Kierans Research Chair in Mechanisms of Cancer Development, as well as colleagues at U of T, Mount Sinai Hospital and the Keio University in Japan, have revealed pivotal new information on how cells regulate their genetic material. In addition, the discovery improves understanding of familial breast and ovarian cancer, as the research shows that OTUB1 inhibits the action of BRCA1, a DNA repair protein often mutated in these cancers...."cont'd