Publication Name	World Journal of Gastroenterology
Manuscript ID	116028
Country	China

Category	Oncology
Manuscript Type	Editorial
Article Title	Emerging role of DNA polymerase epsilon non-exonuclease domain mutations in colorectal cancer: From sequence variants to clinical implications
Manuscript Source	Invited Manuscript
All Author List	Jia-Ju Xu, Chun-Xiao Ni and Jia-Ju Xu
Funding Agency and Grant Number	Funding Agency Grant Number Scientific Research Fund of Tai’an Science and Technology Agency No. 2019NS180
Corresponding Author	Jia-Ju Xu, MD, Department of Medical Oncology, Tai’an City Central Hospital, No. 29 Longtan Road, Tai’an 271000, Shandong Province, China. jiajuxu1101@163.com
Key Words	DNA polymerase epsilon; Colorectal cancer; Non-exonuclease domain mutations; Co-mutation; Tumor mutational burden
Core Tip	Building on Taskiran et al’s findings of a high frequency of non-exonuclease domain mutations (non-EDMs) in polymerase epsilon (POLE), particularly the p.V1446fs3 variant, this editorial highlights their potential clinical significance in colorectal cancer. These non-EDMs, often co-occurring with mutations in DNA repair and oncogenic signaling genes, may define a distinct subgroup of tumors. The editorial advocates for functional validation and the integration of comprehensive POLE sequencing into molecular subtyping to unlock their potential as biomarkers for guiding immunotherapy and personalized treatment strategies.
Citation	Xu JJ, Ni CX, Xu JJ. Emerging role of DNA polymerase epsilon non-exonuclease domain mutations in colorectal cancer: From sequence variants to clinical implications. World J Gastroenterol 2025; In press

Received	2025-11-02 11:39
Peer-Review Started	2025-11-02 11:39
First Decision by Editorial Office Director	2025-12-16 09:51
Return for Revision	2025-12-16 09:51
Revised	2025-12-19 04:44
Publication Fee Transferred
Second Decision by Editor	2025-12-25 02:35
Second Decision by Editor-in-Chief
Final Decision by Editorial Office Director	2025-12-25 10:02
Articles in Press	2025-12-25 10:02
Edit the Manuscript by Language Editor
Typeset the Manuscript

ISSN	1007-9327 (print) and 2219-2840 (online)
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