PARP inhibitors in BRCA1/BRCA2 germline mutation carriers with ovarian and breast cancer

Abstract

BRCA and poly-ADP ribose polymerase (PARP) regulate pathways of DNA repair. Due to the accumulation of mutations introduced by error-prone DNA repair, breast and ovarian cancers develop in the setting of BRCA deficiency. A series of recent clinical trials has tested the use of PARP inhibition as a therapeutic strategy to target BRCA-deficient tumors. © 2010 Faculty of 1000 Ltd.