Methods for the detection of DNA damage

This chapter integrates the methods of detection of different kinds of DNA damage in cells and tissues. These methods have been used in experimental research, clinical trials, and conventional clinical assays over the past few decades. The most commonly used techniques were developed based on DNA damage—the induced modification of histone H2AX and DNA repair proteins involved in various pathways of DNA lesion elimination. A special attention is paid to immunological methods of monitoring DNA damage and repair in single cells. These methods are considered to be the most sensitive for the detection of low levels of DNA damage and could be used to estimate the health risks associated with radiation, for cancer diagnostics, and for the determination of the efficiency of cellular response to chemotherapy.