Inestabilidad Genómica y Cáncer / Genomic Instability and Cancer

The key role of genome instability in tumorigenesis and a number of rare cancer-prone genetic diseases, as well as its potential risks in stem cell–based therapies, has made it a major subject in basic biological research, cancer biology and biomedicine. Our research goals are to identify and understand the causes and mechanisms of genome instability. They are based on the facts that eukaryotic DNA replication starts at multiple sites throughout the genome and is necessarily coordinated with transcription, sister chromatid cohesion, nucleosome assembly and cell cycle progression. During replication cells need to deal with DNA damage and stalled forks, originated inevitably by the action of exogenous and endogenous agents, the success of this process being crucial to preserve genome integrity. The inability of cells to deal with DNA lesions during replication or to protect or restart stalled forks may lead to DNA breaks, chromosomal rearrangements and mutations that can cause loss