Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 9, 2026

Formation of Covalent DNA Adducts by Enzymatically Activated Carcinogens and Drugs In Vitro and Their Determination by 32P-postlabeling
09:33

Formation of Covalent DNA Adducts by Enzymatically Activated Carcinogens and Drugs In Vitro and Their Determination by 32P-postlabeling

Published on: March 20, 2018

14.3K

DNA adducts: Formation, biological effects, and new biospecimens for mass spectrometric measurements in humans

Byeong Hwa Yun1, Jingshu Guo1, Medjda Bellamri1

  • 1Masonic Cancer Center and Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN.

Mass Spectrometry Reviews
|June 12, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Detecting DNA adducts from environmental toxins is crucial for understanding cancer risk. Advanced mass spectrometry techniques now allow measurement in small human tissue samples, improving biomonitoring.

Area of Science:

  • Environmental Health
  • Molecular Biology
  • Cancer Research

Background:

  • Genomic DNA can form adducts with environmental hazardous chemicals or their metabolites.
  • Oxidative stress can generate reactive intermediates, leading to genome damage.
  • DNA adducts are key indicators of exposure and genotoxic chemical involvement in cancer initiation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the formation and biological effects of DNA adducts.
  • To highlight advancements in human biomonitoring using mass spectrometry.
  • To explore the potential of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues for biomarker research.

Main Methods:

  • Established methods include 32P-postlabeling, immunoassays, GC/MS, and LC/MS.
  • Liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) enables adduct measurement in small human biopsy samples (milligrams).
  • Mass spectrometric analysis of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues is a novel approach.

Main Results:

  • Over three decades, various methods have been developed to assess chemical exposures via DNA adducts.
  • LC/MS allows for sensitive detection of DNA adducts in limited human tissue.
  • Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues represent an underutilized resource for carcinogen DNA adduct biomarker research.

Conclusions:

  • Accurate measurement of DNA adducts is essential for assessing cancer risk from genotoxic exposures.
  • Advances in mass spectrometry have significantly improved human biomonitoring capabilities.
  • Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues offer a promising, untapped resource for future biomarker studies.
Keywords:
DNA adductbiomarkerbiomonitoringcarcinogenmass spectrometry

More Related Videos

Mass Spectrometric Approaches to Study Protein Structure and Interactions in Lyophilized Powders11:14

Mass Spectrometric Approaches to Study Protein Structure and Interactions in Lyophilized Powders

Published on: April 14, 2015

17.5K
Quantitative Mass Spectrometric Profiling of Cancer-cell Proteomes Derived From Liquid and Solid Tumors08:08

Quantitative Mass Spectrometric Profiling of Cancer-cell Proteomes Derived From Liquid and Solid Tumors

Published on: February 27, 2015

17.0K

Related Concept Videos

Biological Effects of Radiation02:59

Biological Effects of Radiation

All radioactive nuclides emit high-energy particles or electromagnetic waves. When this radiation encounters living cells, it can cause heating, break chemical bonds, or ionize molecules. The most serious biological damage results when these radioactive emissions fragment or ionize molecules. For example, α and β particles emitted from nuclear decay reactions possess much higher energies than ordinary chemical bond energies. When these particles strike and penetrate matter, they...
18.0K
Role of Water in Human Biology01:27

Role of Water in Human Biology

Water is the one of the most significant components of the human body; it plays a crucial role in several physiological activities because of its unique physicochemical properties. Importantly, it helps to regulate body temperature and is the chief component of several body fluids.
Water's Solvent Properties
Since water is a polar molecule with slightly positive and slightly negative charges, ions and polar molecules can readily dissolve in it. Therefore, it is referred to as a solvent, a...
14.0K
What is Conservation Biology?01:57

What is Conservation Biology?

Conservation biology is a scientific field that focuses on the preservation of biodiversity in order to protect ecosystems while meeting the needs of the human population. Humans require properly functioning ecosystems to maintain our supply of natural resources, including food, medicines, and building materials.
24.4K
DNA-only Transposons02:57

DNA-only Transposons

DNA-only transposons are called autonomous transposons since they code for the enzyme transposase that is required for the transposition mechanism. Insertion of transposons can alter gene functions in multiple ways. They can mutate the gene, alter gene expression by introducing a novel promoter or insulator sequence, introduce new splice sites, and change the mRNA transcripts produced, or remodel chromatin structure.
The donor site from where the transposon is excised is either degraded or...
17.5K
Atomic Mass01:52

Atomic Mass

Atoms — and the protons, neutrons, and electrons that compose them — are extremely small. For example, a carbon atom weighs less than 2 × 10−23 g. When describing the properties of tiny objects such as atoms, we use appropriately small units of measure, such as the atomic mass unit (amu). The amu was originally defined based on hydrogen, the lightest element, then later in terms of oxygen. Since 1961, it has been defined with regard to the most abundant isotope of carbon, atoms of which...
70.4K
DNA Helicases00:55

DNA Helicases

DNA unwinding helicase enzymes are a type of motor protein. Motor proteins can translocate along filaments or polymers using energy generated from ATP hydrolysis. Helicases are involved in all the important cellular processes where DNA unwinding is required, such as DNA replication, repair, recombination, and transcription. They are present in all living organisms, but vary in their structure, function, and mechanism of action. For example, in prokaryotes, DnaB helicase binds and translocates...
24.2K