1. 'Where is my gap': mechanisms underpinning PARP inhibitor sensitivity in cancer.
- Author
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Buckley-Benbow L, Agnarelli A, and Bellelli R
- Subjects
- Humans, DNA Damage, BRCA1 Protein metabolism, BRCA1 Protein genetics, BRCA2 Protein genetics, BRCA2 Protein metabolism, Antineoplastic Agents therapeutic use, Antineoplastic Agents pharmacology, Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerases metabolism, Mutation, Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerase Inhibitors therapeutic use, Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerase Inhibitors pharmacology, Drug Resistance, Neoplasm, Neoplasms drug therapy, Neoplasms genetics, Neoplasms metabolism
- Abstract
The introduction of poly-ADP ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitors (PARPi) has completely changed the treatment landscape of breast cancer susceptibility 1-2 (BRCA1-BRCA2)-mutant cancers and generated a new avenue of research in the fields of DNA damage response and cancer therapy. Despite this, primary and secondary resistances to PARPi have become a challenge in the clinic, and novel therapies are urgently needed to address this problem. After two decades of research, a unifying model explaining sensitivity of cancer cells to PARPi is still missing. Here, we review the current knowledge in the field and the increasing evidence pointing to a crucial role for replicative gaps in mediating sensitization to PARPi in BRCA-mutant and 'wild-type' cancer cells. Finally, we discuss the challenges to be addressed to further improve the utilization of PARPi and tackle the emergence of resistance in the clinical context., (© 2025 The Author(s).)
- Published
- 2025
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