Research and Development of DNA Repair Inhibitors

Dear Colleagues,

All living organisms are constantly confronted to numerous DNA lesions, which may be induced by both exogenous agents (chemical agents, ionizing radiation) and endogenous factors such as reactive oxygen species (ROS) derived from normal cellular metabolism. Therefore, to maintain DNA integrity, cells possess a surveillance network for sensing and repairing DNA damage. Proteins involved in the DNA repair pathway are essential for the genomic stability preventing genome mutations but can also promote drug resistance when their activities are deregulated. Understanding the regulation and functions of these mechanisms are important in human cells but also in other organisms such as in bacteria or in parasites.

Since these DNA repair proteins have been conserved during biological evolution, they represent potential targets to support classical antiproliferative cancer therapies and to overcome certain human diseases such as bacterial infections, fungal proliferation, parasitosis, viral infections, etc.

Thus, the development of effective inhibitors of the DNA repair machinery appears to be a pharmacological challenge addressing a wide range of pathophysiological situations that need to be controlled.

Whether derived from natural substances or from synthetic chemistry, there are few inhibitors of DNA repair and the characterization of new inhibitors is necessary.

The aim of this special issue is to present current data on already known inhibitors of DNA repair and to highlight new candidates from nature or chemistry.

Prof. Dr. Benoît Chénais
Prof. Dr. Fabrice Fleury
Guest Editors

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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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. Molecules is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). 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.