DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) are primarily repaired in eukaryotic cells by two
different mechanisms – non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) or homologous
recombination (HR). In mammalian somatic cells the balance between the two highly
favours NHEJ. Gene targeting is a technique that exploits HR repair to alter a defined
gene locus. While it holds potential to be implemented as a treatment option for several
diseases, the outlook for using it in a clinical setting has been obstructed by a low gene
targeting efficiency. This has been coupled to the low frequency of HR in mammalian
cells. With the intention of shifting the repair balance, antibodies against DSB repair
proteins will be introduced into mammalian cells. It is predicted that by targeting key
repair proteins with antibodies, a compensatory increase in the frequency of HR can be
fostered, ultimately resulting in improved gene targeting. / xv, 168 leaves : ill. ; 29 cm
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:ALU.w.uleth.ca/dspace#10133/3401 |
| Date | January 2012 |
| Creators | Wickersham, Stephanie |
| Contributors | Kovalchuk, Igor |
| Publisher | Lethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Dept. of Biological Sciences, c2012, Arts and Science, Department of Biological Sciences |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | en_CA |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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