Introduction:

Published on August 23, 2023, in the prestigious journal Nature, a study led by Dr Kazuo Isozaki, alongside teams from renowned oncology research centers, explored the intriguing evolution of resistance mutations in non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLCs) treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). The research in this paper focused on the following key questions:

• How do non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLCs) develop resistance to tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs)?
• What role does APOBEC3A-induced mutagenesis play in the evolution of drug-resistant cancer cells?
• Are there specific mutational signatures associated with APOBEC activity in TKI-treated tumors?
• Can inhibiting APOBEC3A expression or activity prevent or delay the emergence of drug resistance in NSCLC?