DNA repair deficiency and the immune microenvironment: A pathways perspective

Abstract

Timely and accurate repair of DNA damage is required for genomic stability, but DNA repair pathways are often lost or altered in tumors. In addition to directly impacting tumor cell response to DNA damage, DNA repair deficiency can also alter the immune microenvironment via changes in innate and adaptive immune signaling. In some settings, these changes can lead to increased sensitivity to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). In this review, we discuss the impact of specific DNA repair pathway dysfunction on immune contexture and ICI response in solid tumors.