The NEMO/ATM/IKKα complex: A key player in colorectal cancer progression and treatment

The kinase IKKα phosphorylates the kinase ATM, enhancing its ability to promote DNA repair. In this issue of Science Signaling , Alonso-Marañón et al. demonstrate that in colorectal cancer cells, the IKK regulatory subunit NEMO targets the ATM/IKKα complex to sites of DNA damage, thus enhancing DNA repair and chemotherapy resistance.