DNA Repair in Radiotherapy Outcomes

Investigating the role of DNA repair capacity and genetic variants in predicting radiotherapy response and long-term cancer outcomes

Project Overview

This project examines how functional DNA repair capacity and germline genetic variants influence radiotherapy outcomes and cancer prognosis. By integrating functional assays, germline variant analysis, and clinical follow-up data, this study aims to establish biomarkers that predict individual responses to radiotherapy and long-term survival outcomes.

Objectives

  • Characterize inter-individual differences in DNA repair capacity and their impact on radiotherapy response.
  • Identify germline variants associated with differential DNA repair efficiency and cancer prognosis.
  • Correlate functional DNA repair measures with genomic alterations and clinical treatment outcomes.
  • Develop predictive models to personalize radiotherapy treatment strategies based on repair capacity.

Methodology

This study employs a combination of:

  • High-throughput functional assays to measure DNA repair efficiency in PBMCs.
  • Germline variant analysis using whole-genome sequencing (WGS).
  • Integration of clinical outcomes data to assess the impact of DNA repair capacity on therapy response and cancer prognosis.
  • Advanced statistical and machine learning models to develop predictive frameworks for personalized treatment.

Outcomes from This Project

Conference Presentations

  • Poster Presentation – Association between telomere length and overall survival in lung cancer patients: a mendelian randomization study at Annual Conference of the American Association of Cancer Research (AACR), 2023. (Abstract)
  • Oral Presentation – Inter-Individual Differences in DNA Repair Capacity and Contributions by Patient-Specific Factors at 54th Annual Meeting of the Environmental Mutagenesis & Genomics Society (EMGS), 2023. (Abstract)

Manuscript in Preparation

  • Title: Functional Capacity and Germline Variants of DNA Repair Predict Radiotherapy Outcomes and Cancer Prognosis
  • Status: Ongoing