DNAherstelpad

DNAherstelpad is a Dutch term that translates roughly to "DNA repair pathway." In scientific and educational contexts it is used to describe the network of cellular processes that detect, signal, and repair DNA damage to preserve genome integrity. The term emphasizes the sequential and interconnected nature of repair steps rather than a single reaction.

The DNAherstelpad encompasses multiple repair mechanisms, including base excision repair (BER) for small base lesions, nucleotide excision repair (NER) for helix-distorting damage, and mismatch repair (MMR) for replication errors. It also includes double-strand break repair pathways such as homologous recombination (HR) and non-homologous end joining (NHEJ). In some cells, translesion synthesis provides a damage-tolerance route when replication machinery stalls. These pathways are conserved across organisms but can vary in components between species.

Typically, the repair process begins with damage sensing by sensor proteins, followed by recruitment of repair complexes, processing of DNA ends or damaged bases, DNA synthesis to replace lost information, and ligation to restore the DNA backbone. A range of enzymes—glycosylases, nucleases, polymerases, and ligases—drive these steps, coordinated by signaling kinases such as ATM and ATR in many systems.

Clinical relevance: Defects in DNA repair pathways can lead to genetic disorders and increased cancer risk. Conversely, certain therapies exploit repair weaknesses in tumors, for example using PARP inhibitors in BRCA-deficient cancers. Understanding the DNAherstelpad helps researchers interpret how cells maintain genomic stability and respond to DNA-damaging agents.

Note: DNAherstelpad is often used as an umbrella term for the collection of repair routes rather than a single, discrete pathway. In literature, it can function as a pedagogical concept to organize information about DNA repair.