Call for Papers

NAR Cancer 5^th Anniversary Thematic Collection: Manipulating DNA repair and the DNA damage response to improve cancer therapy

Submission deadline: May 15, 2025

Guest Editors:

• Elise Fouquerelle, PhD, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, USA
• Li Lan, MD, PhD, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, USA

NAR Cancer is pleased to announce the next in its series of annual thematic collections. The 2025 collection is coordinated with the journal’s virtual 5^th Anniversary Symposium and is focused on exploitation of the DNA damage response for therapeutic gain.

The symposium is co-sponsored by the Columbia University Social DNaing webinar series and will feature monthly sessions on topics including:

• DNA polymerase theta-mediated (alternative) DNA end joining as a therapeutic target

• Homologous recombination, PARP inhibitors, and mechanisms of resistance.

• Emerging targets and strategies, including base excision repair enzymes, RNA-directed DNA repair, replication protein A, and novel delivery systems.

Speakers represent a variety of institutions, perspectives, and scientific approaches. Symposium speakers have been invited to contribute to a special collection on the symposium topic. NAR Cancer would like to extend this invitation to any author working in this space to submit their work for inclusion this this collection.

We welcome submission of standard research papers that are directly in the area of DNA damage sensing and repair or in related areas of gene regulation, chromatin, and epigenetics, nucleic acid therapeutics, cancer genomics, structural biology, and computational biology. Presubmission inquiries are optional. We also welcome proposals for Critical Reviews and Perspectives or Short Reviews (presubmission inquiries required and submission by invitation only). For a guide to article types and article preparation, see our Instructions to Authors. Articles should be submitted electronically via the Scholar One portal and should have a cover letter referencing the special collection.

For inclusion in the collection, we encourage submission by May 15, 2025, with the first papers anticipated to appear online in late summer or autumn.

NAR Cancer is a sister journal to Nucleic Acids Research. They publish quality, impactful research at the intersection of the nucleic acids and cancer fields. The journal is run by scientists for scientists, with engaged and responsive peer editors and a rapid time to first decision. The journal is fully Open Access (never a paywall for any user worldwide) and is searchable in all major indexes. All content is peer reviewed. Criteria for acceptance are similar to NAR, but with additional weight placed on significance and potential impact for the cancer field.

For inquiries regarding article scientific scope and suitability, contact the Editor-in-chief, Bill Dynan ([email protected]). For inquiries regarding the submission process or submission portal, contact our main editorial office ([email protected]).