Circadian regulation of DNA excision repair: implications for chrono-chemotherapy.

The mammalian circadian system synchronizes organisms' daily cyclical physiology from gene expression to gross behavioral patterns. A new study from our group suggests that DNA repair is also intimately linked to circadian rhythm. Since the repair of DNA lesions contributes to the resistance of chemotherapy with DNA damaging agents such as cisplatin, understanding the fundamental molecular mechanism regulating DNA repair pathways is important for cancer therapy. Here we review the significance of the connection linking the circadian clock with nucleotide excision repair and discuss potential implications for chemotherapy.