A team of Russian researchers has discovered a mechanism of DNA repair that will help prevent and treat diseases in the future.
The DNA molecule is chemically unstable, giving rise to DNA lesions of different nature.
That is why DNA damage detection, signalling and repair are needed.
The damage of the DNA, if not repaired, leads to accumulation of mutations, cell death and to the development of various diseases, including Alzheimer's.
"We have shown, not yet in the cell but in vitro, that the repair of breaks in the other DNA chain, which is "hidden" in the nucleosome, is still possible," said Vasily M Studitsky, professor at Lomonosov Moscow State University.
In higher organisms, DNA is bound with proteins in complexes called the nucleosome.
The mechanism of DNA repair opens up new perspectives for the treatment and prevention of neurodegenerative diseases.
The article was published in the journal Science Advances.
