UV-DNA REPAIR AND MUTAGENESIS IN LIPOSOME-TREATED CELLS

SKIN CANCER, RESULTING FROM ULTRAVIOLET (UV) LIGHT DAMAGE TO DNA, HAS INCREASED DRAMATICALLY IN THE UNITED STATES AND THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. APPLIED GENETICS, INC., HAS DEVELOPED A METHOD TO ENHANCE DNA REPAIR IN HUMAN CELLS BY TREATMENT WITH LIPOSOMES CONTAINING UV-DNA REPAIR ENZYMES. PHASE I RESEARCH WILL MEASURE MUTATION FREQUENCY IN HUMAN CELLS TREATED WITH LIPOSOMES TO DETERMINE IF ENHANCED DNA REPAIR WILL PREVENT MUTATIONS THAT LEAD TO CANCER. THE PATCH SIZE OF REPAIRED REGIONS WILL ALSO BE MEASURED, AND THE REPAIR OF 6-4 PHOTOPRODUCTS IN DNA WILL BE MEASURED. THIS CHARACTERIZATION OF ENHANCED DNA REPAIR WILL ANSWER SOME BASIC SCIENCE QUESTIONS AND IS IMPORTANT BEFORE BEGINNING ANIMAL TESTING OF LIPOSOMES IN PHASE II. THE GOAL IS A TOPICAL LOTION CONTAINING DNA REPAIR LIPOSOMES TO PREVENT SKIN CANCER AFTER UV EXPOSURE.