Hyderabad: The Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad, (IIT-H) on Thursday claimed that its researchers had unraveled working of a protein that repaired damaged DNA.

According to the IIT-H, any damage to DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) can cause from sudden appearance of a harmless mole to catastrophic diseases like cancer.

Nature has evolved techniques to not only protect DNA but also to repair damaged one to avert catastrophic outcomes. In humans, one such repair mechanism involves activation of a special class of proteins, called 'DNA repair proteins'.

With the increasing awareness about impact of DNA damage, efforts are being made worldwide to understand how these repair proteins work, both as an academic exercise as well as the foundation for therapeutic interventions.

DNA is a self-replicating material, which is present in nearly all living organisms as the main constituent of chromosomes, and is the carrier of genetic information.

The DNA integrity is essential for proper function and survival of most organisms. Protection of DNA is daunting because of the possibility of damages due to external sources as well as the intrinsic instability of DNA itself.