Reacción a "Spanish researchers publish the “human repairome,” a catalog of the traces left by DNA repair after breaks"

This study, published in one of the most prestigious scientific journals, presents a powerful tool for research into cancer and gene editing.

Although studies in this area have already been conducted on approximately 500 genes, this new work offers an unprecedented advance: a comprehensive interactive catalog that shows how each of the nearly 20,000 human genes influences DNA repair.

This tool, called REPAIRome, allows researchers to identify the impact of mutations even in genes not previously related to DNA repair. Thanks to it, it will be possible to explain certain genetic patterns observed in patients that until now had no clear cause and improve the diagnosis of cancer and other diseases linked to these patterns.

Furthermore, REPAIRome will accelerate future discoveries in fields such as gene editing by enabling greater precision in DNA modification, for example, for the treatment of genetic diseases. It is a powerful tool that opens new doors for both basic research and personalized medicine.

[Regarding potential limitations] Although this tool represents a major research breakthrough, the study was conducted in two model cell types. This means that in other cell types, some of the genes involved in DNA repair might be different. This variability is not only expected, but could be useful: identifying differences between normal and cancerous cells could uncover specific weak spots in cancer, allowing for the design of more precise treatments that do not harm healthy cells.