Publication

RAD51 as a potential surrogate marker for DNA repair capacity in solid malignancies

Journal Paper/Review - May 19, 2017

Units
PubMed
Doi

Citation
Gachechiladze M, Škarda J, Soltermann A, Jörger M. RAD51 as a potential surrogate marker for DNA repair capacity in solid malignancies. Int J Cancer 2017; 141:1286-1294.
Type
Journal Paper/Review (English)
Journal
Int J Cancer 2017; 141
Publication Date
May 19, 2017
Issn Electronic
1097-0215
Pages
1286-1294
Brief description/objective

Targeting deficient mechanisms of cellular DNA repair still represents the basis for the treatment of the majority of solid tumors, and increased DNA repair capacity is a hallmark mechanism of resistance not only to DNA-damaging treatments such as cytotoxic drugs and radiotherapy, but also to small molecule targeted drugs such as inhibitors of poly-ADP ribose polymerase (PARP). Hence, there is substantial medical need for potent and convenient biomarkers of individual response to DNA-targeted treatment in personalized cancer care. RAD51 is a highly conserved protein that catalyzes DNA repair via homologous recombination, a major DNA repair pathway which directly modulates cellular sensitivity to DNA-damaging treatments. The clinical and biological significance of RAD51 protein expression is still under investigation. Pre-clinical studies consistently show the important role of nuclear RAD51 immunoreactivity in chemo- and radioresistance. Validating data from clinical trials however is limited at present, and some clinical studies show controversial results. This review gives a comprehensive overview on the current knowledge about the prognostic and predictive value of RAD51 protein expression and genetic variability in patients with solid malignancies.