The Role of MUTYH in Cancer Progression

Dr. Alan Raetz 
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory 

Dr. Raetz, a graduate of the CSU, Chico biological sciences master’s degree program, discusses how DNA damage and repair relates to cancer. His primary PhD research at UC Davis was to study these effects in the cells of mammals. Dr. Raetz explains that DNA is constantly being damaged (mutated) and constantly being repaired. The vast majority of the repairs are effective; but improper DNA repair leads to such conditions as cancer and aging.  MutY and MUTYH are enzymes that repair cells.  The loss of MUTHY has been linked to the early stages of a specific form of colorectal cancer.  This approach to cancer research is called the Ocogene Theory of Cancer. 

Recorded: February 14, 2014