NAR Cancer 5th Anniversary Virtual Symposium: Manipulating DNA repair and the DNA damage response to improve cancer therapy
NAR Cancer is pleased to partner with the high-visibility Social DNAing webinar series, hosted by Columbia University, to present their 5th anniversary virtual symposium on manipulating DNA repair and the DNA damage response to improve cancer therapy.
The symposium features investigators who have published in NAR Cancer since its inception in 2020, and who are currently doing exceptionally interesting work on strategies to translate studies of DNA repair and the DNA damage response for therapeutic gain.
Speakers represent a variety of institutions and perspectives, with work performed in both academic and biotechnology/pharmaceutical settings. Links to NAR Cancer papers authored or co-authored by each speaker are provided below.
All sessions are on Thursdays at noon (US Eastern time). Please see the full program below, and use this link to register for the sessions.
Symposium Special Collection
Symposium speakers have been invited to contribute to a special collection on this topic. NAR Cancer would like to extend this invite to any author working in this space to submit their work for inclusion this this collection. Visit the call for papers page to find out more.
Virtual Symposium Program
January 9, 2025
Emerging targets and strategies I
Speaker: Ranjit S. Bindra, MD PhD, Yale University School of Medicine
Session Title: Targeting low pH in the tumor microenvironment using a novel peptide-drug conjugate.
Dr. Bindra is a radiation oncologist and biotech entrepreneur. He is co-founder of Cybrexa Therapeutics, which has developed CBX-12, a pH-sensitive, Topoisomerase I-targeting peptide-drug conjugate that has progressed to clinical trials. Read Dr. Bindra’s NAR Cancer publication.
Speaker: Li Lan, MD, PhD, Duke University School of Medicine
Session Title: Understanding and targeting mRNA-methyltransferase TRDMT1 in RNA-dependent DNA repair in cancer.
Dr. Lan’s research interests include the study of mRNA-modifying enzymes as therapeutic targets for treating cancers. Her laboratory has shown that RNA methyltransferase TRDMT1 is a promising therapeutic target to sensitize ovarian tumors to platinum therapy. Read Li Lan’s NAR Cancer publication.
February 13, 2025
Homologous recombination and PARP inhibitors
Speaker: Kara A. Bernstein, PhD, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
Session Title: Finding significance: Functional insights into homologous recombination deficient tumors through variant analysis.
Dr. Bernstein studies molecular targeting of homologous recombination-deficient breast cancer, including the role of RAD51 paralog function in cancer predisposition and genome integrity. She is a founding member of the Editorial Board of NAR Cancer. Read Dr. Bernstein’s NAR Cancer publication.
February 13, 2025 (continued)
DNA polymerase theta-mediated (alternative) DNA end joining I
Speaker: Joanna Loizou, PhD, Institute of Cancer Research (London)
Session Title: POLθ processes ssDNA gaps and promotes replication fork progression in BRCA1-deficient cells.
Dr. Loizou found that DNA polymerase theta processes single-stranded DNA gaps that emerge in BRCA1-deficient cells, promoting replication fork progression and survival, an important insight for clinical trials with polymerase theta inhibitors. She was Director of Translational Medicine at AstraZeneca before her recent move to ICR. Read Dr. Loizou‘s NAR Cancer publication.
March 13, 2025
DNA polymerase theta-mediated (alternative) DNA end joining II
Speaker: Dale A. Ramsden, PhD, University of North Carolina School of Medicine
Session Title: Polymerase theta – what damage is it repairing, and when?
Dr. Ramsden studies the roles of replicative and translesion DNA polymerases in DNA end joining, including the unique consequences of DNA polymerase theta inhibition. Read Dr. Ramsden’s NAR Cancer publication.
Emerging targets and strategies II
Speaker: Katie Pawelczak, Ph.D. NERx Biosciences
Session Title: Targeting the DNA Damage Response sensor Replication Protein A for first-in-class cancer therapy.
Dr. Pawelczak is chief operating officer of NERx Biosciences, which was recently awarded a Phase II SBIR award for development of molecular inhibitors that target replication protein A in the DNA damage response. NERx is also exploring inhibitors of other DNA damage sensors, including the Ku protein. Read Dr. Pawelczak’s NAR Cancer publication.
April 17, 2025
Emerging targets and strategies III
Speaker: Elise Fouquerel, PhD, Hillman Cancer Center at the University of Pittsburgh
Session Title: PARP2 in the response of cancer cells to replication stress.
Dr. Fouquerel studies the roles of DNA-dependent ADP-ribose transferases (PARPs) in the repair of oxidative DNA damage and resolution of secondary DNA structures at telomeres and centromeres, genomic regions whose integrity is crucial for overall genome stability. Read Dr. Fouquerel’s NAR Cancer publication.
Speaker: Robert W. Sobol, PhD, Warren Alpert Medical School, Brown University
Session Title: Base excision repair end-trimming enzymes and protein complexes as essential for PARP inhibitor and PARG inhibitor response.
Dr. Sobol focuses on the role of the DNA base excision repair pathway in the regulation of PARP activation and the response to replication stress and on the identification of novel targets to overcome PARP-inhibitor resistance. He is an Associate Editor of NAR Cancer. Read Dr. Sobol’s NAR Cancer publication.
