Our work over the last decade has helped identify a new target for killing cancer cells, opening the door for potential new therapy. The target pathway is utilised by cancer cells to repair DNA double-stranded break repair and was published recently in the journal Cell Reports.
DNA replication
Topoisomerase 1-targeted chemotherapy is one of the mainstays of treating cancer cells. Currently-used anti-cancer drugs (Camptothecin, Topotecan and Irinotecan) target a molecule (the enzyme Topoisomerase 1 or Top1) involved in DNA replication. While DNA replication is essential to cell division, runaway replication characterises cancer.