Recent findings have thrust poly(ADP-ribose) polymerases (PARPs) into the limelight as potential chemotherapeutic targets. To provide a framework for understanding these recent observations, we review what is known about the structures and functions of the family of PARP enzymes, and then outline a series of questions that should be addressed to guide the rational development of PARP inhibitors as anticancer agents.Current efforts to develop poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors as anticancer drugs represent the culmination of over 40 years of research. After Paul Mandel's research group first described a nuclear enzymatic activity that synthesizes an adenine-containing RNA-like polymer 1 , independent studies by French and Japanese teams demonstrated that this polymer, designated poly(ADP-ribose) (pADPr), is composed of two ribose moieties and two phosphates per unit polymer [2][3][4][5] . The purification of an enzyme that could generate large amounts of pADPr, PARP1 (REFS 6,7 ), led to the discovery that PARP1 is activated by DNA strand breaks [8][9][10] . Seminal work by Sydney Shall's group showed that PARP1 is involved in DNA repair and also suggested the potential use of PARP inhibitors to enhance the cytotoxic effects Correspondence to G.G.P. guy.poirier@crchul.ulaval.ca.
Competing interests statementThe authors declare no competing financial interests.
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NIH-PA Author ManuscriptNIH-PA Author Manuscript NIH-PA Author Manuscript of alkylating agents 10 . Examination of knockout mouse models 11 strengthened the hypothesis that PARP1 participates in DNA repair and simultaneously provided the first evidence for the existence of PARP2 (REF. 12 ). A parallel set of experiments demonstrated that PARP1 hyperactivation leads to nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD + ) and ATP depletion after various types of DNA damage 13,14 (BOX 1), potentially contributing to a unique form of metabolic cell death, which is now termed parthanatos 15 . PARP was thrust into the limelight by the discovery that PARP inhibition is particularly toxic in cancer cell lines 16,17 and human tumours 18 that lack BRCA1 or BRCA2. Despite this progress, there is still much that we do not understand about the biology of the PARP family and pADPr, as detailed below.
Box 1 PARP1 hyperactivation and cell deathNicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD + ) is the source of ADP-ribose used by poly(ADPribose) polymerases (PARPs) to produce poly(ADP-ribose) (pADPr). Because hyperactivation of PARP1 consumes the cytosolic and nuclear pools of NAD + to generate pADPr, pADPr synthesis translates DNA damage intensity into changes in cellular energy. Low to moderate DNA damage triggers pADPr-dependent DNA repair. In the context of excessive DNA damage, however, PARP1 hyperactivation leads to extended pADPr synthesis and extensive NAD + consumption 8,13,14 . Depending on the cellular context, this intense pADPr synthesis can induce cell death through several mechanisms. Long and branched pADPr (60mers and longer) can directly trigg...