The case for POLQ

DNA repair is a prime target for errors that can cause cancer, and the backup DNA repair system "alternative NHEJ" is particularly prone to mistakes that can give rise to tumors. Two groups have shown that the DNA polymerase POLQ is a key culprit behind these DNA repair errors and that its mechanism involves PARP-1, another enzyme involved in DNA repair that has its own links to cancer.

Together, the two groups' findings suggest inhibiting POLQ (DNA-directed DNA polymerase θ) could help treat cancers with deficiencies in homology-directed DNA repair, and could expand the use of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors to a broader range of cancers than previously thought...