DNA Damage Induced by Anti-cancer Agents

Dear Colleagues,

A decades-long focus on understanding the molecular mechanisms responsible for neoplasia has led to the development of so-called targeted anticancer therapeutics. These newer agents, including protein tyrosine kinase inhibitors, monoclonal antibodies, and immune checkpoint inhibitors, can dramatically alter the therapeutic landscape of cancer chemotherapy. Nevertheless, traditional cytotoxic anticancer drugs, and in particular DNA-damaging agents, continue to represent mainstays in the treatment of cancer. The drugs that comprise this large class utilize a variety of chemical mechanisms to induce damage in chromosomal DNA, including breaks in single and double DNA strands, chemical modifications, such as monoadducts, DNA–DNA and DNA–protein cross-links, and single-strand and double-strand breaks. This damage activates cell death in cancer cells; however, DNA damage caused by these agents in noncancer cells is responsible for adverse drug effects, including myelosuppression, secondary malignancies, and other organ-specific toxicities. In this Special Issue, we will review the current insight into the mechanisms through which these important therapeutic agents induce cellular DNA alteration. We will also discuss the cellular response to this drug-induced DNA damage, with a particular emphasis on mechanisms of DNA repair/DNA damage removal.

Dr. Colin Campbell
Guest Editor

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