A PARP is also known as a Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase and it repairs damage done to our body, it is a useful function and basically a PARP enzyme regulates our body, repairing damaged DNA. Usually this is a normal function which stops cell death however Doctor de Bono and his colleagues have done research to suggest that cancer cells may use PARP repair method to their advantage.

An inhibitor cancer drug is a new type of cancer treatment which inhibits (stops) a function that cancer uses to its advantage. One of these is the PARP function. Currently PARP inhibitor clinical trials are featuring two parp drugs named BSI 201 (BiPar Sciences) and Olaparib (Astra Zeneca). These PARP inhibitors are in phase two trials and have been proclaimed to be a major breakthrough in cancer research.

PARP Inhibitors are currently being trialled for use in ovarian, breast and prostate cancer and are being trialled targeting mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. One of the reasons this drug is such a promising target is that it has shown significant anti-tumor effects and yet has caused no side effects (doesn’t appear needed for general healthy functioning) for those that have received the parp inhibitors. If PARP trials prove to be successful this may be one of the most exciting cancer treatments we have seen for a long time.

Currently one woman on the trial has shown a full recovery from advanced PARP breast cancer, whilst this is not a cure for cancer it has shown promising early signs in one third of those treated has reduced the size of tumors.

For more information please go to parp-inhibitors.com.

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