TheroleplayedbyDNAinmolecularbiologyisclearlyrecognizedtobevitaltolifeonthisplanet.8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2deoxyguanosine(=8-OHdG),isprobablythemostimportantproductof"oxidativestress”inDNA.ItsconcentrationinDNAis,infact.aquantitativeanalysisofthedegreeofDNAdamagethatanorganismhasundergone.Duetotheimportanceof8-OHdGofnucleicacidginmutagenesis,carcinogenesisandaging,numerouschemicalandbiologicalinvestigationshavebeenmadeonthissubjectinthepasttime.Kuchinoandco-workershavefoundthat8-OHdGresidueinDNAismisreadingduringtheprocessofDNAreplication.Recently,somereportshavebeenpresentedonhigh8-OHdGlevelsinpatientssufferingfromvariousdiseasessuchaschronichepatitis,Fanconisanemia,diabetesmellitusandHelicobacterpyloriinfections.Asaresult,8-OHdGisausefulmarkerforthestudyofDNAdamagearisingfromreactiveoxygenspeciesandisofgreatsignificanceforcancerresearch.The8-OHdGlevelsinDNAcanhelpunderstandthemechanismofcarcinogensandleadtomoreeffectivetreatmentsformanydifferenttypesofcancer.Forthesereasons,ananalysisof8-OHdGwithquickness,lowcostandhighaccuracyisrequired.
