“Messy” DNA Repair Championed by Shieldin

A quick-and-dirty form of DNA repair may be favored over its more fastidious counterpart, provided a protein complex—the newly discovered shieldin—joins the scene. Shieldin attaches itself near the stumpy, blunt ends of broken DNA, forcing them to be stuck back together directly, via a mechanism called nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ).Because this mechanism is targeted by platinum chemotherapies and PARP inhibitors, its protector, the aptly named shieldin, can help ensure the success