Objective A prominent hallmark of cancer cells is their inherent genomic instability. Incomplete DNA repair and replication initiate tumours and furthermore accelerate the malignant transformation process. Surprisingly, the machinery responsible for DNA maintenance is also intricately involved in the defence against accelerated aging.This proposal focuses on two premature aging syndromes tightly linked to cancer and genomic instability. The Werner syndrome protein is involved in DNA replication at telomeres. Patients with Cockayne syndrome and the closely related Xeroderma Pigmentosum show defects in nucleotide excision repair. This repair pathway removes a variety of DNA lesions and is the major cellular defence mechanism against UV-induced skin cancers.X-ray crystallography combined with biochemical and biophysical techniques will be used to elucidate the structure and molecular workings of the Werner protein and the Xeroderma Pigmentosum/ Cockayne syndrome protein complexes. The results of these studies are expected to improve our understanding of the machinery that simultaneously provides protection against genomic instability and accelerated aging. Fields of science medical and health sciencesclinical medicineoncologyskin cancernatural sciencesbiological sciencesgeneticsDNAnatural sciencesbiological sciencesbiochemistrybiomoleculesproteinsnatural sciencesbiological sciencesgeneticsnucleotidesnatural scienceschemical sciencesorganic chemistryamines Keywords Aging Biology Cancer Structural Programme(s) FP6-MOBILITY - Human resources and Mobility in the specific programme for research, technological development and demonstration "Structuring the European Research Area" under the Sixth Framework Programme 2002-2006 Topic(s) MOBILITY-4.2 - Marie Curie International Reintegration Grants (IRG) Call for proposal FP6-2004-MOBILITY-12 See other projects for this call Funding Scheme EIF - Marie Curie actions-Intra-European Fellowships Coordinator NOVARTIS FORSCHUNGSSTIFTUNG, ZWEIGNIEDERLASSUNG FRIEDRICH MIESCHER INSTITUTE FOR BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH EU contribution No data Address Maulbeerstrasse 66 BASEL Switzerland See on map Links Website Opens in new window Total cost No data
