Fuso Nerini I, Roca E, Mannarino L, Grosso F, Frapolli R, D'Incalci M. Is DNA repair a potential target for effective therapies against malignant mesothelioma?
Cancer Treat Rev 2020;
90:102101. [PMID:
32892058 DOI:
10.1016/j.ctrv.2020.102101]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2020] [Revised: 07/29/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a rare malignancy mainly caused by asbestos exposure. Germinal and acquired mutations in genes of DNA repair pathways, in particular of homologous recombination repair, are frequent in MPM. Here we overview the available experimental data suggesting that an impaired DNA repair system affects MPM pathogenesis by leaving lesions through the genome unresolved. DNA repair defects represent a vulnerability of MPM, and it seems plausible to propose that leveraging these deficiencies could have therapeutic potential for patients with MPM, for whom there is an urgent need of more effective therapies.
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