Abstract

Genomic instability, characterized by alterations in DNA structure and function, has emerged as a crucial factor influencing human health and disease. In recent years, a growing body of research has focused on unraveling the intricate relationship between genomic instability and its impact on various conditions such as cancer, aging, and genetic disorders, which are reviewed here (Abugable et al., 2019; Tiwari and Wilson, 2019; Nelson and Dizdaroglu, 2020; Yousefzadeh et al., 2021). This editorial presents a synthesis of four recently published articles in Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences that delve into the mechanisms and consequences of genomic instability in different contexts. These studies underscore the role of homologous recombination deficiency in epithelial ovarian cancer, the modulation of a transcription factor in the pathogenesis of breast cancer, the epigenetic landscape of Klinefelter syndrome, and the immunomodulatory effect of PARP inhibitors (PARPi) against cancer. Together, these findings contribute to our understanding of genomic instability and pave the way for improved diagnostics, targeted therapies, and interventions to improve human health.