About NTHL1
NTHL1 encodes a DNA repair enzyme that recognizes and removes oxidized DNA bases, an early step in the base excision repair pathway that protects the genome from oxidative damage. Germline mutations in NTHL1 cause an inherited predisposition to colorectal tumors and other cancers, and the gene acts as a tumor suppressor. Its role in cancer is complex: while it normally guards against DNA damage, it can also generate lethal double-strand breaks in irradiated cells, and the gene is amplified in a subset of breast and pancreatic tumors.