Dr. Daniel Durocher   
SENIOR INVESTIGATOR

Dr. Daniel Durocher has focused his considerable talent on investigating how normal cells become cancer cells. His research is an example of the potential that drives fundamental research: that a new understanding of the basic cellular mechanisms involved in cancer – all cancers – will revolutionize prevention and treatment of the disease.

In particular, Dr. Durocher is looking at how healthy cells detect and repair damage to their DNA. DNA damage to cells can occur through environmental exposure to sunlight or smoking, but also occurs regularly through normal metabolic processes like aging. We know that in healthy cells, this damage is detected and repaired naturally, but that in cancer this DNA damage response has failed.

Understanding how healthy cells detect and repair damage to their DNA will reveal important insights into what goes wrong in cells that become cancerous. Moreover, discoveries related to DNA damage will open the door to new, more sophisticated treatments for the disease: rendering cancer cells more vulnerable to chemotherapy for example, or developing drugs that can more selectively target cancerous cells.

 
Samuel Lunenfeld
Research Institute
Mount Sinai Hospital
Joseph & Wolf Lebovic Health Complex
600 University Avenue
Toronto Ontario M5G 1X5

Tel: 416-586-4800 ext.2544
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