Abstract IA017: Drugging the DNA damage response (DDR) in the Clinic: Going beyond the approved PARP inhibitors

Abstract

Abstract Genomic instability is a key hallmark of cancer that arises owing to defects in the DNA damage response (DDR) and/or increased replication stress. These alterations promote the clonal evolution of cancer cells via the accumulation of driver aberrations, including gene copy-number changes, rearrangements, and mutations; however, these same defects also create vulnerabilities that are relatively specific to cancer cells, which could potentially be exploited to increase the therapeutic index of anticancer treatments and thereby improve patient outcomes. The discovery that BRCA-mutant cancer cells are exquisitely sensitive to inhibition of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase has ushered in a new era of research on biomarker-driven synthetic lethal treatment strategies for different cancers. The therapeutic landscape of antitumor agents targeting the DDR has rapidly expanded to include inhibitors of other key mediators of DNA repair and replication, such as ATR, ATM, CHK1, WEE1, PKMYT1 and PARG. Efforts to optimize these therapies are ongoing across a range of cancers, involving the development of predictive biomarker assays of response (beyond BRCA mutations), assessment of the mechanisms underlying intrinsic and acquired resistance, and evaluation of rational combinations to improve patient outcomes and widen the application of DDR agents. Citation Format: Timothy A. Yap. Drugging the DNA damage response (DDR) in the Clinic: Going beyond the approved PARP inhibitors [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference in Cancer Research: DNA Damage Repair: From Basic Science to Future Clinical Application; 2024 Jan 9-11; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(1 Suppl):Abstract nr IA017.