APOBEC3 enzymes mediate efficacy of cisplatin and are epistatic with base excision repair and mismatch repair in platinum response.

Identifying the mechanisms mediating cisplatin response is essential for improving patient response. Previous research has identified base excision repair (BER) and mismatch repair (MMR) activity in sensitizing cells to cisplatin. Cisplatin forms DNA adducts including interstrand cross-links (ICLs) that distort the DNA helix, forcing adjacent cytosines to become extrahelical.