Mending the rift: DNA repair and aging

One important goal in the field of DNA repair is to use current knowledge of DNA damage and repair mechanisms in normal young and adult cells and animal models in the chemoprevention and chemotherapeutics of DNA damage-related diseases. However, such a translation into a true in vivo setting can prove difficult. No doubt, the scope of human in vivo studies is currently restricted by the complexity of this setting and by the relatively limited availability of safe and effective in vivo chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic substances, as well as tremendous ethical responsibility. This article's focus is on human and human skin organ-culture studies and outlines possible future directions for the field of photobiology in "translationa" applications.