Transcription-replication conflicts underlie sensitivity to PARP inhibitors. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38509368/)

These scientists wanted to understand how a type of medicine called PARP inhibitors work to treat certain types of cancer. They found that PARP inhibitors trap certain proteins on the DNA, which can cause damage that needs to be repaired. The scientists discovered that a protein called PARP1 works together with other proteins called TIMELESS and TIPIN to protect the DNA during cell replication in the early stages of cell division.

They also found that the reason PARP inhibitors are effective in treating some cancers is because they prevent the repair of DNA damage that happens when the cell is trying to copy its DNA and make new proteins at the same time. By stopping this process, the cancer cells are unable to survive and grow. The scientists showed that by targeting PARP1 with medication, it may be possible to effectively treat certain types of cancer that have a deficiency in a process called homologous recombination.

In simpler terms, these scientists discovered how a certain type of medicine works to treat cancer by stopping the cancer cells from repairing their DNA properly. This could lead to better treatments for certain types of cancer in the future.

Petropoulos M., Karamichali A., Rossetti GG., Freudenmann A., Iacovino LG., Dionellis VS., Sotiriou SK., Halazonetis TD. Transcription-replication conflicts underlie sensitivity to PARP inhibitors. Nature. 2024 Mar 20. doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-07217-2.