RecQ Helicase Somatic Alterations in Cancer.

Named the "caretakers" of the genome, RecQ helicases function in several pathways to maintain genomic stability and repair DNA. This highly conserved family of enzymes consist of five different proteins in humans: RECQL1, BLM, WRN, RECQL4, and RECQL5. Biallelic germline mutations in , , and have been linked to rare cancer-predisposing syndromes.