Dr. Sheera Adar
Combatting Cancer by Mapping Gene Damage and Repair
The genes and hereditary material that we carry in our cells are made up of molecules called DNA. It is DNA that carries the genetic information that allows us to function. DNA can be damaged by external factors, like the sun and radiation, but also by “natural” internal errors. Our cells have a built-in ability to repair damaged DNA, but when DNA repair mechanisms fail, mutations may result, increasing the risk of cancer and other diseases.
Using sophisticated bioinformatic analysis to examine DNA in vast numbers of cells, Dr. Sheera Adar, of the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, aims to better understand DNA damage and repair and ultimately to advance effective, personalized cancer prevention and treatment.
“We aim to understand how DNA damage, formation and repair occur in the human nucleus, how repair is coordinated with genome function, and the processes that are meant to prevent mutations but sometimes fail.” explains Dr. Adar.
She and her team use both experimental and computational methods to study DNA damage and repair and their effect on mutations and cancer, with an emphasis on lung, skin, and ovarian cancer.
In just one example, Dr. Adar’s lab investigated a DNA repair mechanism called nucleotide excision repair. The nucleotide excision repair pathway protects cells from carcinogenic damage induced by UV radiation or smoking. Intriguingly, it can also help cancer cells overcome damage caused by cisplatin chemotherapy treatment used to treat ovarian cancer.
By investigating DNA damage and repair mechanisms Dr. Adar’s work helps identify cancer-risk biomarkers that will lead to earlier cancer detection and help identify novel targets for personalized cancer treatment.