High-throughput, high-content screening for novel DNA repair inhibitors

Our laboratory recently developed high-throughput, high-content platforms to study the assembly of DNA repair proteins at IR-induced DSBs in cancer cells. We have optimized this system specifically to detect multiple key DSB repair proteins, including DNA-PK and BRCA1, which can serve as proxies for NHEJ and HR repair activity, respectively (example in Photo collection 1).

We are now utilizing this system in a genome-wide small interfering RNA (siRNA) screen for novel genes and pathways that regulate DSB repair. These studies have the potential to identify numerous novel genes and pathways which regulate IR-induced DSB repair. Furthermore, these newly identified genes may become targets for the development of novel radiosensitizers in the future.

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