Jennifer Fisher Wilson | Jan 7, 2001 | 4 min read
Same Enzyme Repairs DNA, Repels Pathogens An enzyme involved in genome defense has been shown to attack invading pathogens (W-M. Chu et al., "DNA-PKcs is required for activation of innate immunity by immunostimulatory DNA," Cell, 103:909-18, Dec. 8, 2000). Researchers already knew that DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) in the nucleus repairs DNA double-stranded breaks created by radiation, but the role of DNA-PK in the cytoplasm was unknown. Testing DNA immunostimulatory (ISS) sequences in