Modulation of DNA repair by pharmacological inhibitors of the PIKK protein kinase family

Modulation of DNA repair pathways in oncology has been an area of intense interest in the last decade, not least as a consequence of the promising clinical activity of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors. In this review article, we highlight inhibitors of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase related kinase (PIKK) family as of potential interest in the treatment of cancer, both in combination with DNA-damaging therapies and as stand-alone agents.