Tissue specificity of DNA damage response and tumorigenesis

The genome of cells is constantly challenged by DNA damages from endogenous metabolism and environmental agents. These damages could potentially lead to genomic instability and thus to tumorigenesis. To cope with the threats, cells have evolved an intricate network, namely DNA damage response (DDR) system that senses and deals with the lesions of DNA. Although the DDR operates by relatively uniform principles, different tissues give rise to distinct types of DNA damages combined with high diversity of microenvironments across tissues. In this review, we discuss recent findings on specific DNA damage among different tissues as well as the main DNA repair way in corresponding microenvironments, highlighting tissue specificity of DDR and tumorigenesis. We hope the current review will provide further insights into molecular process of tumorigenesis and generate new strategies for cancer treatment.