How Does DNA Repair Mechanism Failure Lead to Cancer?
Cells have multiple mechanisms to repair DNA damage, including base excision repair, nucleotide excision repair, and mismatch repair. Defects in these systems can lead to accumulation of mutations, contributing to cancer development. For instance, mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes impair homologous recombination repair, significantly increasing the risk of breast and ovarian cancers.
