Targeting homologous repair deficiency in breast and ovarian cancers: biological pathways, preclinical and clinical data

DNA is constantly suffering damage from environmental assaults and endogenous metabolic activities. The DNA damage response (DDR) consists of five main overlapping pathways that reinforce genomic integrity throughout the cell cycle and DNA replication. Homologous recombination (HR) repair is the main rescue pathway, in which double-strand breaks (DSBs) are repaired. BRCA1 and 2 are essential proteins involved in this pathway, and their deficiencies lead to genomic instability, a hallmark of cancer.
Source: Critical Reviews in Oncology Hematology - Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Source Type: research