Synthetic Lethality Strikes: Outsmarting Cancer with Precision Medicine
A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Oncology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 3
Special Issue Editor
Interests: medicinal chemistry; drug discovery and development; multitargeting compounds; development of new anticancer agents; pro-apototic agents; autophagy inhibitors; HDAC inhibitors; endocannabinoid system modulators; cancer neurodegeneration; retinal diseases; multiple sclerosis; epilepsy; rare diseases
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Synthetic lethality has emerged as a genetically targeted strategy in cancer treatment, offering the potential to bullseye tumor cells that carry specific genetic defects while sparing healthy cells and tissues.
Synthetic lethality exploits the vulnerabilities caused by mutations in DNA repair, including homologous recombination (HR) pathways. The concept of BRCAness as an Achilles’ heel of certain types of cancers (including breast and pancreatic cancer) has successfully prompted the use of PARP inhibitors and promising targets such as RAD51 and RAD52, which are gathering attention.
In BRCA-mutant cancer cells, HR is defective due to loss of BRCA function, causing cell death, while normal cells survive by repairing the damage. New RAD51–BRCA2 and PARP disruptor combinations simultaneously impair two DNA repair pathways, thereby triggering synthetic lethality.
This Special Issue brings together original research and critical reviews that span the discovery, validation, and therapeutic exploitation of synthetic lethality in cancer through DNA damage response (DDR) and non-DDR modulators. Emphasis is placed on new molecules that induce synthetic lethality, encompassing medicinal chemistry, mechanistic insights, clinical translation, and combinatorial approaches, unlocking new avenues in precision medicine. Contributions underscore the dynamic potential of synthetic lethality as a cornerstone in the next generation of targeted cancer therapies.
We would like to acknowledge Dr. Giovanna Panzeca (Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, Siena, Italy) for her participation as Guest Editor Assistant in the development of this Special Issue.
Prof. Dr. Stefania Butini
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- synthetic lethality
- precision medicine
- DDR modulators
- non-DDR modulators
- cancer
- BRCA
- PARP
- RAD51
- RAD52
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
