Poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase (PARP) Inhibitors: From Bench to Bedside

Poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase (PARP) inhibitors are a novel class of anticancer agents that target the DNA damage response pathways. The enzyme target, PARP, plays a key role in signalling DNA single-strand breaks. Clinical development to date has focused on their potential role in combination with DNA-damaging chemotherapy, where efficacy has been limited by enhanced normal tissue toxicity, and as single agents in the context of synthetic lethality. This article reviews these data in the context of future development as radio-potentiating agents.