Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42522093›Full record

ReviewCancer biology & therapy2026

DNA polymerase theta (Polθ): a novel candidate for targeted cancer therapy.

Bo Zhou, Zhixin Wang, Jun Qi, Fengke Liang, Haohui Liu, Yunqi Li

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Cancer biology & therapy, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Bo ZhouDepartment of Gastroenterology, The 944th Hospital of PLA Joint Logistics Support Force, Jiuquan, China.
Zhixin WangTianjin International Travel Healthcare Center, Tianjin, China.
Jun QiTianjin International Travel Healthcare Center, Tianjin, China.
Fengke LiangDepartment of Gastroenterology, The 944th Hospital of PLA Joint Logistics Support Force, Jiuquan, China.
Haohui LiuDepartment of Gastroenterology, The 944th Hospital of PLA Joint Logistics Support Force, Jiuquan, China.ORCID 0009-0005-3281-9496
Yunqi LiDepartment of Gastroenterology, First Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are the most severe DNA damage, and defective repair can lead to apoptosis or malignant transformation. DSBs are mainly repaired by nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) and homologous recombination (HR), while microhomology-mediated end joining (MMEJ) serves as a backup pathway. Since DNA polymerase theta (Polθ) is essential for MMEJ, this pathway is also named Polθ-mediated end joining. Polθ is barely expressed in normal tissues but overexpressed in many cancers, making it a promising therapeutic target. In recent years, Polθ inhibitors and related therapeutic strategies have emerged rapidly, with clinical trials underway. This review summarizes the structure, function and expression of Polθ in tumorigenesis, highlights synthetic lethal strategies, drug development and clinical translation, and discusses current limitations and future directions for cancer research.

Indexed as

Antineoplastic AgentsDNA-Directed DNA PolymeraseNeoplasmsAnimalsDNA Breaks, Double-StrandedDNA End-Joining RepairDNA Polymerase thetaHumansMolecular Targeted TherapyAntineoplastic AgentsDNA-Directed DNA PolymeraseDNA Polymerase thetaDNA damage repairMMEJPolθsynthetic lethalitytargeted therapy

Identifiers

PMID42522093
PMCPMC13432876

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.