Exploiting the Microhomology-Mediated End-Joining Pathway in Cancer Therapy
Abstract
Repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSB) is performed by two major pathways, homology-dependent repair and classical nonhomologous end-joining. Recent studies have identified a third pathway, microhomology-mediated end-joining (MMEJ). MMEJ has similarities to homology-dependent repair, in that repair is initiated with end resection, leading to single-stranded 3′ ends, which require microhomology upstream and downstream of the DSB. Importantly, the MMEJ pathway is commonly upregulated in cancers, especially in homologous recombination-deficient cancers, which display a distinctive mutational signature. Here, we review the molecular process of MMEJ as well as new targets and approaches exploiting the MMEJ pathway in cancer therapy.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Nov 01, 2020
- Source ID
- 10.1158/0008-5472.can-20-1672
Entities
People
- Alan D'Andrea
- Jeffrey Patterson-fortin
Organizations
- Dana–Farber Cancer Institute
- National Institutes of Health
- Stand Up to Cancer
- United States Department of Defense