Beyond kinetics: the study of DNA damage and repair in bone marrow cells

The response of the bone marrow to cytotoxic agents is a prime determinant of differential toxicity in cancer chemotherapy. Previous attempts to characterize drug effects on the bone marrow have largely been concerned with the proliferative status of the marrow cells. The DNA alkaline elution technique has recently proven to be a simple, sensitive technique for the study of drug-induced DNA damage and repair. The potential for applying this technique to mechanisms of bone marrow toxicity is discussed.