Crosslinks and crosstalk: Human cancer syndromes and DNA repair defects

A subset of human cancer syndromes result from inherited defects in genes responsible for DNA repair. During the past few years, discoveries concerning the intersection of certain DNA repair processes have increased our understanding of how the disruption of specific DNA repair mechanisms leads to genomic instability and tumorigenesis. This review focuses on the human genes MUTYH, BRCA2/FANCD1, and BLM.