Ferulic acid in combination with PARP inhibitor sensitizes breast cancer cells as chemotherapeutic strategy

Homologous-recombination (HR)-dependent repair defective cells are hypersensitive to poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors. Combinations of defective HR pathway and PARP inhibitors have been an effective chemotherapeutic modality. We previously showed that knockdown of the WD40-repeat containing protein, Uaf1, causes an HR repair defect in mouse embryo fibroblast cells and therefore, increases sensitivity to PARP inhibitor, ABT-888. Similarly, here, we show that ferulic acid reduces HR repair, inhibits RAD 51 foci formation, and accumulates γ-H2AX in breast cancer cells. Moreover, ferulic acid, when combined with ABT-888, renders breast cancer cells become hypersensitive to ABT-888. Our study indicates that ferulic acid in combination with ABT-888 treatment may serve as an effective combination chemotherapeutic agent as a natural bioactive compound.