Bill Dynan - NAR Cancer Editor

Advancing inducible gene-inactivation systems to explore synthetic lethality Abstract. Synthetic lethality offers opportunities to identify therapeutic targets for cancer research, facilitating the development of targeted tumour the

Introducing IGIS, a versatile, scalable platorm to investigate synthetic lethal relationships between cancer therapeutic targets. Haracska et al. describe the platform and validate it by investigation of BRCA1–RAD18 interplay. New in NAR Cancer. academic.oup.com/narcancer/ar...

Kavalipati, Aponte, et al. reveal actionable ways to overcome CDK4/6 resistance in HR+ breast cancer — a step toward smarter combination therapies and better patient outcomes. New in NAR Cancer: academic.oup.com/narcancer/ar...

5th Anniversary Thematic Collection: Manipulating DNA Repair and the DNA Damage Response to Improve Cancer Therapy This collection is coordinated with the journal’s virtual 5th Anniversary Symposium and is focused on exploitation of the DNA damage response for

NAR Cancer presents a curated collection of 17 articles on how advances in understanding the DNA damage response are reshaping cancer therapy. Explore the collection and read the editorial from guest editors Li Lan and Elise Fouquerel. New targets and new tools. academic.oup.com/narcancer/pa...

Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: Social DNAing Webinar. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar. Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: Social DNAing Webinar. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar.

Terrific on-line seminar - Feb 19 noon EST. Kyungjae Myung, Recent NAR Cancer author, now Director of IBS Center at Ulsan National institute, Korea. "Investigation of genomic integrity & translation for potential clinical applications." Columbia Social DNAing: columbiacuimc.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

The RRM domains of PARP14 mediate replication fork degradation in BRCA2-deficient cells Abstract. Degradation of reversed replication forks by nucleases has emerged as a major mechanism of chemosensitivity in BRCA-deficient cells. We previousl

New in NAR Cancer: PARP14 binds ssDNA via RRM domains and engages MRE11 at reversed forks, causing stress-induced DSBs—clarifying PARP14’s role in promoting chemosensitivity in BRCA-deficient cells. academic.oup.com/narcancer/ar...

Seeds of Cancer, Decades of Silence: Ageing and Environmental Control of Tumour Latency Editors: Gabriella Ficz, PhD Barts Cancer Institute (CRUK), Queen Mary University, London, UK g.ficz@qmul.ac.uk Yvonne Fondufe-Mittendorf, PhD Van Andel Inst

Early oncogenic perturbations persist for decades, while overt tumorigenesis is constrained. How? CALL FOR PAPERS. NAR Cancer thematic collection. Gabriella Ficz (Queen Mary University London) and Yvonne Fondufe-Mittendorf (Van Andel Institute), eds. For details: academic.oup.com/narcancer/pa...

Differential roles of Rad18 in repressing carcinogen- and oncogene-driven mutagenesis in vivo Abstract. The DNA repair protein RAD18 activates “Y-family” trans-lesion synthesis (TLS) DNA polymerases that are DNA damage-tolerant and potentially error

Insights into how Rad 18 shapes oral cancer genomes by promoting error-free lesion bypass during DNA replication. Read more about how gene-environment interactions determine cancer risk in an NAR Cancer Article from Anand, Williams, Vaziri, and UNC coworkers. academic.oup.com/narcancer/ar...

PARP inhibitor resistance in IDH1-mutant cancers due to loss of end protection factors, 53BP1 and REV7 Abstract. Acquired resistance presents a major challenge for targeted therapies, with initially responsive tumors eventually reverting underlying vulnerabi

New in NAR Cancer: Colón-Rios, Glazer, and coworkers model PARPi resistance in the IDH1-mutant setting and offer a strategy to overcome resistance by treating with the receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor, cediranib - mechanism involves suppression of re-activated HDR factors. doi.org/10.1093/narc...

Fantastic speaker lineup, co-organized by NAR Cancer Editorial Board member John Tainer. One of a select few conferences that NAR Journals will extend sponsorship to this year.

James Watson, Co-Discoverer of the Structure of DNA, Is Dead at 97

James Watson, Co-Discoverer of the Structure of DNA, Is Dead at 97 www.nytimes.com/2025/11/07/s...

Excited to share: NAR Cancer Editor's Choice review article from Kyungjae Myung and colleagues provides a snapshot of the blossoming field of DNA damage response- and repair-targeted therapeutics. Focus is on small molecules currently in clnical trials. academic.oup.com/narcancer/ar...

Androgen receptor inhibition extends PARP inhibitor activity in prostate cancer models beyond BRCA mutations and defects in homologous recombination repair Abstract. Clinical trials show benefit of the combination of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors (PARPi) with androgen receptor (AR) pathway inhibitors

Congratulations to Forment, O’Connor and coworkers on an Editors' Choice study in NAR Cancer, unraveling the mechanism by which addition of PARP inhibitors to AR pathway inhibitor therapy improves prostate cancer survival, even in the absence of HRR defects. academic.oup.com/narcancer/ar...

New in NAR Cancer: Loss of uL14 downregulates antigen processing and presentation components in melanoma cell lines - alters peptide pool available for presentation to create an escape mechanism from immune surveillance. From Anna Dopler and coworkers.

Analysis of the mRNA modification machinery alterations in breast cancer through the SCAN-B cohort Abstract. Epitranscriptomic modifications regulate gene expression and have been implicated in cancer, including breast cancer. Using the SCAN-B cohort, we

Evaluation of 49 mRNA modification regulators across subtypes in human breast cancer reveals potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets. New in NAR Cancer, from Carlos Paula, Erik Dassi, Francesca Aguilo and coworkers at University of Trento and Umeå University. academic.oup.com/narcancer/ar...

Characterization of the RNA Binding Properties of Ku Protein† Ku protein, a heterodimer of 70 and 83 kDa polypeptides, is the regulatory component of the DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK). Ku protein binds to DNA ends and is essential for DNA double-strand b...

We described Ku-RNA binding in 1998, but had to wait 27 years for Zha and coworkers to discover the significance. A lesson in patience. 2/2 pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...

Ku limits RNA-induced innate immunity to allow Alu expansion in primates - Nature Studies on the essentiality of Ku in human cells reveal that Ku interacts with diverse double-stranded RNA molecules, including antisense Alu, and enables tolerance of Alu sequence expansion in p...

Congrats to our Editorial Board member Shan Zha for amazing study attributing essentiality of Ku protein in primates to modulation of RNA-driven innate immunity. 1/2 www.nature.com/articles/s41...

m6A modification in R-loop homeostasis: a potential target for cancer therapeutics Abstract. R-loops or DNA–RNA hybrids are prominent nucleic acid structures that commonly arise during transcription. These structures play important biolog

N6-methyladenosine in R-loop homeostasis. Short review in NAR Cancer from Chun-Long Chen and coworkers. Effects on transcription, repair, centromere and telomere stability, and R-loop dynamics. Targeting as a cancer therapeutic strategy. academic.oup.com/narcancer/ar...

Automated machine learning profiling with MAP-HR for quantifying homologous recombination foci in patient samples Abstract. Accurate visualization and quantification of homologous recombination (HR)-associated foci in readily available patient samples are critical for

Beyond BRCA status: machine-learning assisted multichannel imaging platform for cell-by-cell analysis of HR competency, enabling patient stratification. “Editor’s Choice” in NAR Cancer. academic.oup.com/narcancer/ar...

SETD6 mediates selective interaction and genomic occupancy of BRD4 and MITF in melanoma cells Abstract. Aberrant transcriptional programs mediate malignant transformation of melanoma, the most aggressive form of skin cancer. The lysine methyltransfe

New insights into gene regulation in melanoma, the deadliest skin cancer: SETD6-catalyzed methylation of BRD4 and chromatin-localized interaction with MITF. From Tzofit Elbaz Biton, Dan Levy, and coworkers, published in NAR Cancer. academic.oup.com/narcancer/ar...

NAR seeks a new Executive Editor Overview of the Journal Nucleic Acids Research (NAR) is a leading open access molecular biology journal published by Oxford University Press. It provides rapid

Our sister journal, Nucleic Acids Research, has opened a search for an Executive Editor. Great opportunity for mid-career or senior investigator looking to be part of a great team, handle 100-150 papers per year, and attend the annual EE meeting. Details at: academic.oup.com/nar/pages/ex...

A systematic evaluation of the therapeutic potential of endogenous-ADAR editors in cancer prevention and treatment Abstract. Adenosine deaminases acting on RNA (ADAR) enzymes constitute a natural cellular mechanism that induces A-to-I(G) editing, introducing genetic cha

Are key cancer driver mutations amenable to editing by endogenous ADAR enzymes? The scope of correctable mutations is charted for the first time in an Editor's Choice paper, newly published in NAR Cancer. From Rona Merdler-Rabinowicz and colleagues. academic.oup.com/narcancer/ar...

New in NAR Cancer. A critical examination of mutations in conserved m6A motifs: low recurrence and maybe not a primary mechanism for altering gene function. From Luis A. Diaz and coworkers, @mskcancercenter.bsky.social academic.oup.com/narcancer/ar...

Watch the replay of Elise Fouquerel and Rob Sobol's talks at today's NAR Cancer 5th anniversary symposium (offered in collaboration with Social DNAing). Special thanks to guest host Li Lan. Link to video at the Social DNAing website: www.cancer.columbia.edu/research/pro...

NAR Cancer 5th anniversary symposium on manipulating DNA repair and DDR for cancer therapy - 4th and final session, Thursday April 17, noon Eastern. Elise Fouquerel and Rob Sobol on emerging targets. Link to free registration: academic.oup.com/narcancer/pa...

Replay of two great talks from last week's NAR Cancer 5th anniversary symposium on manipulating the DNA damage response. Dale Ramsden on DNA polymerase theta - what it repairs and when, and Katie Pawelczak on a first-in-class RPA inhibitor. Find the link at www.cancer.columbia.edu/research/pro...

NAR Cancer 5th Anniversary symposium in cooperation with Social DNAing: Thursday, March 13, noon US Eastern. Dale Ramsden on Pol theta and Katie Pawelczak on targeting RPA.
Program info and link to register: academic.oup.com/narcancer/pa...

Optical genome and epigenome mapping of clear cell renal cell carcinoma Abstract. Cancer cells display complex genomic aberrations that include large-scale genetic rearrangements and epigenetic modulation that are not easily ca

Novel approach for simultaneous profiling of long-range genetic and epigenetic changes in matched cancer samples, focusing on clear cell renal cell carcinoma. New in NAR Cancer. From Sapir Margalit, Yuval Ebenstein, and others, Tel Aviv University. academic.oup.com/narcancer/ar...

New challenges Explore the challenges currently open for Expressions of Interest.

New Cancer Grand Challenges announced: mechanisms driving unassigned mutational signatures, the dark proteome, and more: www.cancergrandchallenges.org/new-challeng...

Reaching out to #earlycareerinvestigators @narjournal.bsky.social

In vivo selection of anti-glioblastoma DNA aptamers in an orthotopic patient-derived xenograft model Abstract. Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and aggressive primary malignant brain tumor of adults. Current therapeutic options yield dismal prognoses

First in vivo DNA aptamer selection using an orthotopic patient-derived xenograft glioblastoma mouse model to identify tumor-homing DNA aptamers. From Caroline Doherty, LJ Maher and colleagues at Mayo Clinic. New in NAR Cancer. academic.oup.com/narcancer/ar...