Cancer gene therapy最新文献

{"title":"NF-κB-activated oncogene inhibition strategy for cancer gene therapy","authors":"Wei Dai, Jian Wu, Yingchun Shui, Qiuyue Wu, Jinke Wang, Xinyi Xia","doi":"10.1038/s41417-024-00828-x","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41417-024-00828-x","url":null,"abstract":"NF-κB is a promising target for cancer treatment because of its overactivation in almost all cancers but countless NF-κB inhibitors rarely became clinical drugs due to side effects. In contrast to traditional cancer treatments aimed at inhibiting NF-κB activity, this study develop a novel approach termed HOPE, which focuses on activating the exogenous effector gene CRISPR-Cas13a within cancer cells, achieved by utilizing the NF-κB-specific promoter DMP previously constructed, then targets and suppresses the expression of oncogenes TERT, PLK1, KRAS and MYC at mRNA level. We evaluated the antitumour effects of HOPE in various cultured cells and confirmed it could induce obvious the death of cancer cells without affecting normal cells. By packaging HOPE into adeno-associated virus (AAV) and intravenously injected it to treat mice that were subcutaneously transplanted with colorectal cancer. This validated that rAAV-HOPE could significantly inhibit tumour growth without side effects. Based on the scRNA-seq data, we observed that HOPE could activate the immune system and decrease the proportion of cancer cells, particularly reducing the stemness of cancer cells. This study elucidates an important role of HOPE in inhibiting cancer cell growth both in vitro and in vivo, additionally provides a novel therapeutic technology for cancer gene therapy.","PeriodicalId":9577,"journal":{"name":"Cancer gene therapy","volume":"31 11","pages":"1632-1645"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2024-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.com/articles/s41417-024-00828-x.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142124917","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"ZNF460-mediated upregulation of APCDD1L-DT promotes cholangiocarcinoma development by inhibiting the ubiquitin-mediated degradation of DVL2","authors":"Xin Gao, Xinlei Zou, Canghai Guan, Xiangjun Sha, Sidi Liu, Xinmiao Zhang, Chengru Yang, Xiangyu Zhong, Xingming Jiang","doi":"10.1038/s41417-024-00826-z","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41417-024-00826-z","url":null,"abstract":"Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), known for its aggressive nature, poses a formidable challenge in the current medical landscape, particularly in targeted therapies. Against this backdrop, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have captured the attention of researchers. These unique RNAs are believed to play pivotal roles in various cancers, offering promising avenues for the development of more effective treatment strategies. Previous studies have substantiated the aberrant expression of the APCDD1L-DT in numerous human tumors, demonstrating its positive regulatory roles in disease progression. Nevertheless, the biological functions of APCDD1L-DT in CCA are still not fully understood. This study marks the inaugural documentation of APCDD1L-DT exhibiting aberrant expression in CCA specimen, establishing a close correlation with the TNM staging of tumor patients. Furthermore, suppressing APCDD1L-DT expression hinders both the viability and motility of tumor cells. Mechanistically, the abnormal activation of the transcription factor ZNF460 positively regulated APCDD1L-DT expression in CCA. This activation, in turn, propels the abnormal activation of the Wnt pathway, fostering tumor development by impeding the ubiquitin-mediated degradation of DVL2. Broadly speaking, this study provides auspicious perspectives for comprehending CCA and furnishes support for addressing this daunting malignancy.","PeriodicalId":9577,"journal":{"name":"Cancer gene therapy","volume":"31 10","pages":"1585-1597"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2024-08-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142104712","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"FGFR4-specific CAR-T cells with inducible caspase-9 suicide gene as an approach to treat rhabdomyosarcoma","authors":"Wei Xiao, Liping Xu, Jinghua Wang, Kuai Yu, Bushu Xu, Yi Que, Jingjing Zhao, Qiuzhong Pan, Chengqi Gao, Penghui Zhou, Xing Zhang","doi":"10.1038/s41417-024-00823-2","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41417-024-00823-2","url":null,"abstract":"Metastatic rhabdomyosarcoma is associated with poor survival and unsatisfactory treatment outcomes. Therefore, new immunotherapeutic methods are urgently required. Fibroblast growth factor receptor 4 (FGFR4), a new therapeutic target for rhabdomyosarcoma, plays a crucial role in its onset and development. This study aimed to generate FGFR4 single-chain variable fragment-based chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells without causing evident toxicity and incorporating an inducible caspase-9 (iCasp9) suicide gene system to enhance their safety. FGFR4 antigen expression was evaluated in normal murine tissues, normal human tissues, and specimens from patients with rhabdomyosarcoma. Combined with a 4-1BB co-stimulatory domain, a CD3ζ signaling domain, and an iCasp9 suicide gene, CAR-T cells with an FGFR4-specific single-chain variable fragment were developed. The specific cytotoxic effects, T-cell proliferation, cytokine secretion, apoptosis induction by chemical dimerization (AP20187), and toxicity of FGFR4 CAR-T cells were investigated in vitro and in vivo. FGFR4 CAR-T cells generated a variety of immune-promoting cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor α, interleukin 2, and interferon γ, and displayed effective cytotoxic activity against FGFR4-overexpressing rhabdomyosarcoma cells in vitro. FGFR4 CAR-T cells were relatively effective against FGFR4-overexpressing rhabdomyosarcoma, with tumor regression and poor survival in a subcutaneous xenograft model. The iCasp9 gene was incorporated into FGFR4 CAR-T cells and it was demonstrated that effective and reliable suicide gene activity depends on the administration of AP20187. By making use of the cross-reaction of FGFR4 CAR-T cells with murine FGFR4 in a syngeneic tumor model, this study found that FGFR4 CAR-T cells could regulate the growth of tumors without evident toxicity. Our study demonstrates that FGFR4 is a prospective target for CAR-T cell therapy in rhabdomyosarcoma without serious on-target off-tumor toxicity. FGFR4 CAR-T cells with the iCasp9 suicide gene system as a safety switch to limit toxicity may broaden the clinical applications of cellular therapy.","PeriodicalId":9577,"journal":{"name":"Cancer gene therapy","volume":"31 10","pages":"1571-1584"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2024-08-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.com/articles/s41417-024-00823-2.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142055089","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Identification of KIFC1 as a putative vulnerability in lung cancers with centrosome amplification","authors":"Christopher Zhang, Benson Z. Wu, Caterina Di Ciano-Oliveira, Yin Fang Wu, Sharon S. Khavkine Binstock, Isabel Soria-Bretones, Nhu-An Pham, Andrew J. Elia, Raj Chari, Wan L. Lam, Mark R. Bray, Tak W. Mak, Ming-Sound Tsao, David W. Cescon, Kelsie L. Thu","doi":"10.1038/s41417-024-00824-1","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41417-024-00824-1","url":null,"abstract":"Centrosome amplification (CA), an abnormal increase in the number of centrosomes in the cell, is a recurrent phenomenon in lung and other malignancies. Although CA promotes tumor development and progression by inducing genomic instability (GIN), it also induces mitotic stress that jeopardizes cellular integrity. CA leads to the formation of multipolar mitotic spindles that can cause lethal chromosome segregation errors. To sustain the benefits of CA by mitigating its consequences, malignant cells are dependent on adaptive mechanisms that represent therapeutic vulnerabilities. We aimed to discover genetic dependencies associated with CA in lung cancer. Combining a CRISPR/Cas9 functional genomics screen with tumor genomic analyses, we identified the motor protein KIFC1, also known as HSET, as a putative vulnerability specifically in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) with CA. KIFC1 expression was positively correlated with CA in LUAD and associated with worse patient outcomes, smoking history, and indicators of GIN. KIFC1 loss-of-function sensitized LUAD cells with high basal KIFC1 expression to potentiation of CA, which was associated with a diminished ability to cluster extra centrosomes into pseudo-bipolar mitotic spindles. Our work suggests that KIFC1 inhibition represents a novel approach for potentiating GIN to lethal levels in LUAD with CA by forcing cells to divide with multipolar spindles, rationalizing further studies to investigate its therapeutic potential.","PeriodicalId":9577,"journal":{"name":"Cancer gene therapy","volume":"31 10","pages":"1559-1570"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2024-08-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.com/articles/s41417-024-00824-1.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142046416","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mesothelin expression correlates with elevated inhibitory immune activity in patients with colorectal cancer","authors":"Midhun Malla, Sachin Kumar Deshmukh, Sharon Wu, Timothy Samec, Dane C. Olevian, Reima El Naili, Bassel El-Rayes, Joanne Xiu, Alex Farrell, Heinz-Josef Lenz, Emil Lou, Sanjay Goel, David Spetzler, Richard M. Goldberg, Lori Hazlehurst","doi":"10.1038/s41417-024-00816-1","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41417-024-00816-1","url":null,"abstract":"The expression of the protein Mesothelin (MSLN) is highly variable in several malignancies, including colorectal cancer (CRC), and high levels are associated with aggressive clinicopathological features and worse patient survival. Colorectal cancer is both a common and deadly cancer; being the third most common in incidence and second most common cause of cancer-related death. While systemic therapy remains the primary therapeutic option for most patients with stage IV (metastatic; m) CRC, their disease eventually becomes treatment refractory, and 85% succumb within 5 years. Microsatellite-stable (MSS) CRC tumors, which constitute more than 90% of patients with mCRC, are generally refractory to immunotherapeutic interventions. In our current work, we characterize MSLN levels in CRC, specifically correlating expression with clinical outcomes in relevant CRC subtypes, and explore how MSLN expression impacts the status of immune activation and suppression in the peritumoral microenvironment. Higher MSLN expression is prevalent in CMS1 and CMS4 CRC subtypes and correlates with higher gene mutation rates across the patient cohorts. Further, MSLN-high patients exhibit increased M1/M2 macrophage infiltration, PD-L1 staining, immune-inhibitory gene expression, enrichment in inflammatory, TGF-β, IL6/JAK/STAT3, IL2/STAT5 signaling pathways, and mutation in KRAS and FBXW7. Together, these results suggest that MSLN protein is a potential target for antigen-specific therapy and supports investigation into its tumorigenic effects to identify possible therapeutic interventions for patients with high MSLN expressing MSS CRC.","PeriodicalId":9577,"journal":{"name":"Cancer gene therapy","volume":"31 10","pages":"1547-1558"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2024-08-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.com/articles/s41417-024-00816-1.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142035280","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Long noncoding RNA EPCART regulates translation through PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway and PDCD4 in prostate cancer","authors":"Annika Kohvakka, Mina Sattari, Janika Nättinen, Ulla Aapola, Pavlína Gregorová, Teuvo L. J. Tammela, Hannu Uusitalo, L. Peter Sarin, Tapio Visakorpi, Leena Latonen","doi":"10.1038/s41417-024-00822-3","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41417-024-00822-3","url":null,"abstract":"While hundreds of cancer-associated long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been discovered, their functional role in cancer cells is still largely a mystery. An increasing number of lncRNAs are recognized to function in the cytoplasm, e.g., as modulators of translation. Here, we investigated the detailed molecular identity and functional role of EPCART, a lncRNA we previously discovered to be a potential oncogene in prostate cancer (PCa). First, we interrogated the transcript structure of EPCART and then confirmed EPCART to be a non-peptide-coding lncRNA using in silico methods. Pathway analysis of differentially expressed protein-coding genes in EPCART knockout cells implied that EPCART modulates the translational machinery of PCa cells. EPCART was also largely located in the cytoplasm and at the sites of translation. With quantitative proteome analysis on EPCART knockout cells we discovered PDCD4, an inhibitor of protein translation, to be increased by EPCART reduction. Further studies indicated that the inhibitory effect of EPCART silencing on translation was mediated by reduced activation of AKT and inhibition of the mTORC1 pathway. Together, our findings identify EPCART as a translation-associated lncRNA that functions via modulation of the PI3K/AKT/mTORC1 pathway in PCa cells. Furthermore, we provide evidence for the prognostic potential of PDCD4 in PCa tumors in connection with EPCART.","PeriodicalId":9577,"journal":{"name":"Cancer gene therapy","volume":"31 10","pages":"1536-1546"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2024-08-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.com/articles/s41417-024-00822-3.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141987437","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The splicing factor SF3B1 confers ferroptosis resistance and promotes lung adenocarcinoma progression via upregulation of SLC7A11","authors":"Yanlin Guo, Xiaohui Wang, Yu Du, Yixuan Zhao, Lvye Gao, Yanlong Hao, Dou Lv, Xuefei Feng, Yuanfang Zhai, Binbin Zou, Jinli Han, Enwei Xu, Yue Yang, Bin Yang, Yanfeng Xi, Ling Zhang","doi":"10.1038/s41417-024-00817-0","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41417-024-00817-0","url":null,"abstract":"This study aimed to investigate the expression of SF3B1 in non-small cell lung cancer, and its clinical significance, biological function, and molecular mechanisms. SF3B1 mRNA and protein levels were elevated in both lung squamous cell carcinoma and lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) tissues based on TCGA data and immunohistochemistry. Notably, high SF3B1 expression in LUAD was significantly associated with increased lymph node metastasis. Functional experiments involving SF3B1 knockdown and overexpression demonstrated that SF3B1 facilitated the proliferation, invasion, and migration of LUAD cells. Additionally, the SF3B1 inhibitor pladienolide-B attenuated the aggressive behavior of LUAD cells both in vitro and in vivo. RNA sequencing analysis indicated that differentially expressed genes in the SF3B1 knockdown and SF3B1 inhibitor groups were enriched in ferroptosis-related pathways compared to their respective control groups. The antiferroptotic role of SF3B1 in LUAD cells was validated by detecting glutathione depletion, lipid peroxidation, and observing morphological changes using transmission electron microscopy. This process was confirmed to be independent of apoptosis and autophagy, as evidenced by the effects of the ferroptosis inducer erastin, the apoptosis inhibitor Z-VAD-FMK, and the autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine. Rescue experiments indicated that the antiferroptotic role of SF3B1 in LUAD is partially mediated by upregulating the expression of SLC7A11.","PeriodicalId":9577,"journal":{"name":"Cancer gene therapy","volume":"31 10","pages":"1498-1510"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2024-08-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141911867","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"PHF10 inhibits gastric epithelium differentiation and induces gastric cancer carcinogenesis","authors":"Zhiyuan Fan, Wenjing Yan, Jianfang Li, Min Yan, Bingya Liu, Zhongyin Yang, Beiqin Yu","doi":"10.1038/s41417-024-00820-5","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41417-024-00820-5","url":null,"abstract":"Gastric cancer (GC) is characterized with differentiation disorders, the precise mechanisms of which remain unknown. Our previous study showed that PHF10 exhibits oncogenic properties in GC, with its histological presentation indicating a potential role in the modulation of differentiation disorders in GC. This study reveals a significant upregulation of PHF10 in GC tissues, showing a negative correlation with differentiation level. PHF10 was found to impede the differentiation of GC cells while promoting their stemness properties. This was attributed to the formation of a positive feedback loop between PHF10 and E2F1, resulting in dysregulated expression levels in GC. Additionally, PHF10 was found to mediate the transcriptional repression of the target gene DUSP5 in GC cells through the assembly of the SWI/SNF complex, leading to an elevation in pERK1/2 levels. In GC tissues, a negative association was noted between the expression of E2F1 or PHF10 and DUSP5, whereas a positive correlation was observed between the expression of E2F1 or PHF10 and pERK1/2. Additional rescue experiments confirmed that the inhibitory effect on differentiation of GC cells by PHF10 is dependent on the DUSP5-pERK1/2 axis. The signaling cascade involving E2F1-PHF10-DUSP5-pERK1/2 was identified as an important player in regulating differentiation and stemness in GC cells. PHF10 emerges as a promising target for differentiation induction therapy in GC.","PeriodicalId":9577,"journal":{"name":"Cancer gene therapy","volume":"31 10","pages":"1511-1524"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2024-08-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.com/articles/s41417-024-00820-5.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141911865","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"UGT1A7 altered HER2-positive breast cancer response to trastuzumab by affecting epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition: A potential biomarker to identify patients resistant to trastuzumab treatment","authors":"Cong Wang, Chenguang Bai, Zhe Zhang, Hao Zhou, Huanyao Gao, Siwei Wang, Yuan Yuan","doi":"10.1038/s41417-024-00819-y","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41417-024-00819-y","url":null,"abstract":"HER2-positive (HER2+) breast cancer accounts for 20–30% of all breast cancers. Although trastuzumab has significantly improved the survival of patients with HER2+ breast cancer, more than 70% of patients develop drug resistance within one year of treatment. Differential-gene-expression analysis of trastuzumab-sensitive and resistant HER2+ breast cancer cell lines from GSE15043 was performed to identify the biomarkers associated with trastuzumab resistance. Differential biomarker expression was confirmed in FFPE tissues collected from clinical HER2+ breast cancer tumor samples that were sensitive or resistant to trastuzumab treatment. UGT1A7, a member of the uronic acid transferase family, was associated with trastuzumab resistance. UGT1A7 expression was downregulated in trastuzumab-resistant tumor tissues and in a cell line that developed trastuzumab resistance (BT474TR). Overexpressing UGT1A7 in BT474TR restored their sensitivity to trastuzumab treatment, whereas downregulating UGT1A7 expression in parental cells led to trastuzumab resistance. Importantly, UGT1A7 localized to the endoplasmic reticulum and altered stress responses. Furthermore, downregulating UGT1A7 expression promoted epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) by affecting TWIST, SNAIL, and GRP78 expression and the AMP-activated protein kinase signaling pathway, thus contributing to trastuzumab resistance. This study demonstrated the important role and novel mechanisms of UGT1A7 in tumor responses to trastuzumab. Low UGT1A7 expression plays an important role in EMT and contributes to trastuzumab resistance. UGT1A7 has the potential to be developed as a biomarker for identifying patients who are resistant to trastuzumab treatment.","PeriodicalId":9577,"journal":{"name":"Cancer gene therapy","volume":"31 10","pages":"1525-1535"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2024-08-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141911868","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Polθ: emerging synthetic lethal partner in homologous recombination-deficient tumors","authors":"Tancredi Didier Bazan Russo, Clarissa Mujacic, Emilia Di Giovanni, Maria Concetta Vitale, Carla Ferrante Bannera, Ugo Randazzo, Silvia Contino, Marco Bono, Valerio Gristina, Antonio Galvano, Alessandro Perez, Giuseppe Badalamenti, Antonio Russo, Viviana Bazan, Lorena Incorvaia","doi":"10.1038/s41417-024-00815-2","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41417-024-00815-2","url":null,"abstract":"The most remarkable finding in synthetic lethality (SL) is the hypersensitivity to PARP inhibitors (PARPis) of the tumors harboring defects in genes involved in homologous repair (HR) such as BRCA1/2. Despite initial responsiveness to PARPi, the penetrance of the synthetic lethal interactions between BRCA1/2 genes and PARPi is incomplete. Thus, a significant proportion of HR-defective tumors experience intrinsic or acquired resistance, representing a key challenge of clinical research. An expanded concept of SL is opening new ways and includes novel forms of genetic interactions, investigating not only traditional SL of pairs genes but also SL between biological pathways that regulate the same essential survival cell function. In this context, recent research showed that HR and theta-mediated end-joining (TMEJ) pathways exhibit SL. DNA polymerase theta (Polθ) is encoded by the POLQ gene and is a key component of the TMEJ, an essential backup pathway, intrinsically mutagenic, to repair resected double-strand breaks (DSBs) when the non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) and HR are impaired. Polθ is broadly expressed in normal tissues, overexpressed in several cancers, and typically associated with poor outcomes and shorter relapse-free survival. Notably, HR-deficient tumor cells present the characteristic mutational signatures of the error-prone TMEJ pathway. According to this observation, the loss of HR proteins, such as BRCA1 or BRCA2, contributes to increasing the TMEJ-specific genomic profile, suggesting synthetic lethal interactions between loss of the POLQ and HR genes, and resulting in the emerging interest for Polθ as a potential therapeutic target in BRCA1/2-associated tumors. This review summarizes the converging roles of the POLQ and HR genes in DNA DSB repair, the early-stage clinical trials using Polθ inhibitor to treat HR-defective tumors and to overcome BRCA-reversion mutations responsible for therapeutic resistance, and the novel pleiotropic effects of Polθ, paving the way for the development of unexplored synthetic lethality strategies.","PeriodicalId":9577,"journal":{"name":"Cancer gene therapy","volume":"31 11","pages":"1619-1631"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2024-08-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.com/articles/s41417-024-00815-2.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141911866","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}