DNA repair systems in malignant mesothelioma

Malignant mesothelioma (MM) is an aggressive tumor of serosal surfaces with increasing incidence and poor prognosis. Asbestos exposure is the main cause of MM and asbestos-induced DNA damage is critical for MM pathogenesis. The present review summarizes the implications of DNA repair systems in MM development, focusing on gene expression alterations and single nucleotide polymorphisms of genes encoding for DNA repair enzymes. The involvement of DNA repair systems in MM improves understanding of MM pathogenesis and provides novel therapeutical targets.

► Asbestos-induced DNA damage is critical for malignant mesothelioma development.
► This study presents the implications of DNA repair systems to malignant mesothelioma.
► Malignant mesothelioma is characterized by various alterations in DNA repair systems.