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PARP Inhibitors in Cancers: 2nd Edition

A special issue of Cancers (ISSN 2072-6694). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Cancer Biology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2026) | Viewed by 1275

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Granada, Av. de Fuente Nueva, s/n, Beiro, 18071 Granada, Spain
Interests: PARP; hypoxia; tumor microenvironment; PARP inhibitor; mitochondrial diseases
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

A deeper understanding of DNA repair mechanisms and their potential value as therapeutic targets in oncology has heralded the clinical development of a wide range of chemical inhibitors that target several enzymes involved in signal DNA damage, modulating chromatin architecture or inhibiting specific DNA repair pathways, and whose activity is certainly uncontrolled in cancer cells. Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors represent a novel and effective class of anti-cancer therapy, highlighting the importance of the synthetic lethality concept in cancer progression, focusing on cells lacking homologous recombination DNA repair. Biochemically, PARP inhibition leads to the accumulation of DNA damage by impairing single-strand break sites, trapping DNA-dependent PARP at these SSBR sites and leading to the inhibition of DNA replication.

However, the mechanism is much more complex and the biology of PARP enzyme inhibition is still far from fully understood. This dearth of information has triggered a multitude of projects and groups to open new lines of research on cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and metabolic or cardiac diseases, enriching knowledge about the therapeutic potential of PARP inhibitors.

This Special Issue welcomes both original research manuscripts and reviews focused on the current state of PARP inhibitors in cancer therapy.

Dr. Jose Manuel Rodriguez-Vargas
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • PARP inhibitors
  • clinical relevance
  • cancer progression
  • DNA repair mechanisms
  • cancer cells

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 3926 KB  
Article
Inactivation of PRMT5 by PARP Inhibitors Confers High Susceptibility in MTAP-Deficient Cancers
by Qi Liu, Yuling Sheng, Folan Lin, Haoyuan Tan, Yanyun Chang, Xiaopeng Lu, Hao Chen and Changzheng Du
Cancers 2026, 18(9), 1335; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers18091335 - 22 Apr 2026
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Abstract
Background: Methylthioadenosine phosphorylase (MTAP) deficiency caused by homozygous deletion is prevalent in solid tumors and contributes to malignant progression, thereby rendering cancer cells vulnerable to dysfunction of protein arginine methyltransferase 5 (PRMT5). This study aimed to investigate whether Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors [...] Read more.
Background: Methylthioadenosine phosphorylase (MTAP) deficiency caused by homozygous deletion is prevalent in solid tumors and contributes to malignant progression, thereby rendering cancer cells vulnerable to dysfunction of protein arginine methyltransferase 5 (PRMT5). This study aimed to investigate whether Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors could exploit this vulnerability through PRMT5 inactivation in MTAP-deficient tumors. Methods: PRMT5 activity was assessed in vitro and in vivo following PARP inhibitor treatment. The antitumor effects of PARP inhibitors alone or in combination with either the MTAP inhibitor MTDIA or the PRMT5 inhibitor EPZ015666 were evaluated in solid tumor models, including MTAP-deficient tumor models in vivo. Results: PARP inhibitors effectively inactivated PRMT5 in vitro and in vivo and exacerbated DNA double-strand breaks induced by PARP inhibition. Moreover, PARP inhibitors showed significant synergistic effects when combined with either MTDIA or EPZ015666 in solid tumor models. MTAP-deficient tumors exhibited increased vulnerability to olaparib in vivo, and combined treatment with olaparib plus MTDIA or EPZ015666 produced improved therapeutic outcomes compared with olaparib alone. Conclusions: These findings identify PARP inhibitors as a potential therapeutic strategy for MTAP-deficient tumors through targeted inactivation of PRMT5 and support further evaluation of PARP inhibitor-based combination therapies in this molecular context. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue PARP Inhibitors in Cancers: 2nd Edition)
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Review

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34 pages, 2314 KB  
Review
Targeting MARylation and DePARylation in Cancer Therapy: New Promising Therapeutic Opportunities
by Vanesa Cabeza-Fernández, Francisco Javier Ríos-Sola, David Martín-Oliva, Jerónimo Borrego-Pérez, Francisco Javier Oliver, José YéLamos and José Manuel Rodríguez-Vargas
Cancers 2025, 17(24), 4011; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers17244011 - 16 Dec 2025
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Abstract
The poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) family constitutes a major group of proteins and enzymes essential for the maintenance of cellular homeostasis under physiological conditions and plays a pivotal role in the onset and progression of multiple pathological states. Members of the PARP family are [...] Read more.
The poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) family constitutes a major group of proteins and enzymes essential for the maintenance of cellular homeostasis under physiological conditions and plays a pivotal role in the onset and progression of multiple pathological states. Members of the PARP family are classified into distinct subgroups based on their subcellular localization, structural organization, and ADP-ribosyltransferase activity. To date, the majority of studies have focused on DNA-dependent PARPs, owing to their well-established involvement in DNA repair mechanisms, cell cycle regulation, and diverse human pathologies. Nevertheless, over the past decade, a smaller subset of PARPs—limited in both abundance and enzymatic activity—has emerged as a critical regulator of numerous cellular processes, including embryonic development and disease progression. Within this subset, mono(ADP-ribosyl) transferases (MARTs) have gained growing attention as potential therapeutic targets in cancer, cardiovascular disorders, and neurodegenerative diseases. The ADP-ribose (ADPr) cycle, which comprises both branched poly(ADP-ribose) (PAR) polymers and mono-ADP-ribose moieties present either in free form or covalently bound to cellular substrates, is tightly regulated to ensure cellular homeostasis. This regulation relies on a finely tuned balance between ADP-ribosylation, DePARylation, and the subsequent recycling of mono-ADP-ribose. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of the biological roles of mono-ADP-ribosylation (MARylation) and DePARylation, with particular emphasis on their contribution to cancer-related processes. In addition, we discuss emerging evidence supporting their translational relevance and therapeutic potential. In conclusion, MARylation and DePARylation represent two increasingly recognized regulatory pathways whose expanding clinical significance highlights the need for deeper mechanistic understanding and further exploration in both basic and translational research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue PARP Inhibitors in Cancers: 2nd Edition)
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