License to kill

Cells rely on DNA-mutating enzymes to fight viral infections, yet these same factors can threaten genomic integrity if left unchecked. In a new study published in Nature Communications, researchers from the Versteeg lab, led by first authors and former PhD students Irene Schwartz and Valentina Budroni, identify and characterize a previously unknown cellular mechanism that protects cells from their own endogenous mutators, revealing how beneficial antiviral activity is balanced against the risk of cancer-promoting DNA damage.