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Updated: Feb 20, 2026

Visualizing and Quantifying Endonuclease-Based Site-Specific DNA Damage
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Endogenous DNA Damage and Its Role in Human Disease

Eva-Maria Bryan1, Clare Lauderback1

  • 1Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Institute for Advanced Biomedical Research, George Mason University, Manassas, Virginia 22030, United States.

Chemical Research in Toxicology
|February 18, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Metabolism and genome dynamics cause DNA damage, leading to disease. New research highlights chemical diversity, metabolic factors, and repair limits influencing cancer risk and biomarkers.

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Genetics
  • Cancer Biology

Background:

  • Endogenous DNA damage arises from normal metabolic processes and genome maintenance.
  • This damage contributes to genetic instability, mutations, and the development of various diseases, including cancer.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To present new findings on the chemical diversity of endogenous DNA damage.
  • To explore the metabolic drivers that contribute to DNA damage.
  • To investigate the limitations of DNA repair mechanisms in preventing disease.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of chemical structures and pathways involved in DNA damage.
  • Metabolomic profiling to identify key metabolic contributors.
  • Assessment of DNA repair pathway efficiency and capacity.

Main Results:

  • Identification of diverse chemical adducts formed by endogenous DNA damage.
  • Correlation between specific metabolic states and increased DNA damage.
  • Evidence of repair pathway saturation under high-damage conditions.

Conclusions:

  • Understanding the interplay between metabolism, DNA damage, and repair is crucial for cancer risk assessment.
  • Chemical diversity of damage influences disease outcomes.
  • Repair limits define critical thresholds for disease prevention and biomarker development.
Keywords:
DNA Repair PathwaysEndogenous DNA DamageGenomic InstabilityMetabolic DysfunctionSecondary DNA Structures

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