Nijmegen breakage syndrome (NBS), also known as Berlin breakage syndrome and Seemanova syndrome, is a rare autosomal recessive congenital disorder causing chromosomal instability, probably as a result of a defect in the Double Holliday junction DNA repair mechanism.
NBS1 codes for a protein that has two major functions: (1) to stop the cell cycle in the S phase, when there are errors in the cell DNA (2) to interact with FANCD2 that can activate the BRCA1/BRCA2 pathway of DNA repair. This explains clearly that mutations in the NBS1 gene lead to higher levels of cancer (see Fanconi anemia, Cockayne syndrome...)
The name derives from the Dutch city Nijmegen where the condition was first described.
Most people with NBS have West Slavic origins. The largest number of them live in Poland.
Mrs Seemanova MD after whom the name of the syndrome was given, currently works at Motol Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic, as a Professor of medical genetics.
Read more about Nijmegen Breakage Syndrome: Characteristics, Cause and Genetics
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