Xeroderma pigmentosum: recent studies on the DNA repair defects.

Xeroderma pigmentosum is a recessive autosomal disease of humans that is characterized by a high prevalence of skin cancers. Results of studies on cells from such patients indicate a defect in the repair of DNA damage associated with exposure to ultraviolet radiation. Since this observation was reported, a large amount of information on this disease has accumulated in the literature.