“DNA repair defects, a fault in triple negative breast and ovarian cancers”

DNA is like the instruction manual for our cells. It contains all the information necessary for their operation. But this precious genetic code is regularly put to the test: UV rays, toxins, or even spontaneous errors during cell division can damage it. If this damage is not repaired, it risks accumulating, disrupting cellular functions, or even leading to the onset of diseases such as cancer.

To protect their DNA, our cells have numerous repair systems capable of detecting and correcting these errors. In cancer cells, however, these mechanisms can be dysfunctional, forcing them to rely on backup pathways. This is the case for certain aggressive cancers such as triple negative breast cancer or ovarian cancer, whose DNA repair system relies on a single enzyme. By identifying this enzyme and its operating mechanism, Professor Raphaël’s team…