DR-543 Pan-Cancer Analysis of Translesion Synthesis and Tobacco-Associated Mutational Processes

Tobacco exposure contributes to cancer in multiple organs and leaves characteristic patterns of DNA mutations. We will analyze somatic genomic and clinical data derived from WGS across solid and hematological malignancies, with primary emphasis on tobacco-associated cancers. We will test whether alterations in genes involved in translesion synthesis (TLS), which allows cells to replicate damaged DNA, are associated with these mutation patterns and whether the effects differ by tissue context. Comparisons with our BPDE-exposed cell and BaP-exposed mouse models may clarify how tobacco carcinogens generate cancer and identify biologically distinct tumor groups for future biomarker research.

Sergey Nikolaev, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, France