COMMENTARY State of the art survey of the buccal micronucleus assay—a first stage in the HUMNXL project initiative

The study of DNA damage in exfoliated buccal cells is a minimally invasive method for monitoring populations for exposure to genotoxic agents. The presence of micro-nuclei (MN) and other nuclear anomalies within these cells has been shown to be associated with genetic defects in genome maintenance, accelerated ageing, genotoxic dam-age and some degenerative diseases. To identify important information gaps regarding these biomarkers, a new initiative was launched within the framework of the HUman MicroNucleus (HUMN) collaborative programme, the HUMNXL project (‘XL ’ designating eXfoLiated cell). An invitation to join the project was sent out together with a questionnaire to all laboratories that have published on the buccal micronucleus assay. Overall, 188 messages were delivered and 58 laboratories from 25 countries agreed t