oxygen species. homologous chromosomes can repair this damage by aligning themselves with chromosomes of the same genetic sequence. once the base pairs have been matched and oriented correctly between the two strands, the homologous chromosomes perform a process that is very similar to recombination, or crossing over as seen in meiosis. part of the intact dna sequence overlaps with that of the damaged chromosome's sequence. replication proteins and complexes are then recruited to the site of damage, allowing for repair and proper replication to occur. through this functioning, double-strand breaks can be repaired and dna can function normally. relevant research current and future research on the subject of homologous chromosome is heavily focused on the roles of various proteins during recombination or during dna repair. in a recently published article by pezza et al. the protein known as hop2 is responsible for both homologous chromosome synapsis as well as double-strand break repair via homologous recombination. the deletion of hop2 in mice has large repercussions in meiosis. other current studies focus on specific proteins involved in homologous recombination as well. there is ongoing research concerning the ability of homologous chromosomes to repair double-strand dna breaks. researchers are investigating the possibility of exploiting this capability for regenerative medicine. this medicine could be very prevalent in relation to cancer, as dna damage is thought to be contributor to carcinogenesis. manipulating the repair function of homologous chromosomes might allow for bettering a cell’s damage response system. while research has not yet confirmed the effectiveness of such treatment, it may become a useful therapy for cancer.