Unlocking the Connection Between DNA and Disease

This week on the Bench to Bedside podcast, host Dr. Roy Jensen, vice chancellor and director of The University of Kansas Cancer Center, sits down for a conversation with Dr. Bret Freudenthal, an associate professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at the University of Kansas Medical Center, to talk about DNA and its crucial role in the development and progression of cancer. While there are many factors involved in cancer development, changes to the cellular DNA arising from DNA damage is a basic driver of multiple human diseases. For example, skin cancer can arise if DNA is damaged after excessive exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun. Dr. Freudenthal has dedicated his career to better understanding how DNA damage is repaired to protect the genome. To understand how proteins interact with DNA and repair damage, Dr. Freudenthal’s research relies on the latest leading-edge technology, including x-ray crystallography (a sophisticated technique that visualizes the arrangement of atoms within a crystal) and his team was also among the first to try out the University of Kansas Medical Center’s new cryogenic electron microscope. You won't want to miss this episode!  

Do you have questions about cancer? Call our Bench to Bedside Hotline at (913) 588-3880 or email us at [email protected], and your comment or question may be shared on an upcoming episode!