PARP Inhibitors Prevent Protein PARP from Binding to DNA in Cancer Treatment

PARP inhibitors are a new cancer drug that has recently drawn a lot of attention because of their potential to fight cancer at a molecular level. According to the American Cancer Society, in 2019, there will be an estimated 1,762,450 new cancer cases diagnosed and 606,880 cancer deaths in the U.S. By 'guessing' the exact location of cancer cells, they interfere with the DNA transcription process which directly attacks cancer. This means that the more closely the inhibitors bind to the DNA, the more they hinder cancer. They are able to do this because the binding is non-reactive to the human body and as such has no harmful side effects.

As a cancer drug, PARP inhibitors work by preventing the protein PARP from binding to the DNA. As an enzyme, PARP is part of the process in which genes are passed on from parent cells to their daughter cells in the reproduction system. In cancer, the damaged DNA makes it impossible for the cell to repair itself, and thus the germ cell cannot divide. This is where the germ cell becomes cancerous and can spread to other parts of the body. The problem with many cancer drugs today is that they interfere with this DNA repair process. Because of this, patients often suffer from serious side effects which sometimes lead to their death. Although most drugs used in cancer treatments are effective in killing cancer cells, but many have side effects that make them ineffective.

The common side effects of PARP inhibitors are abdominal pains, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Rarely, but possible side effects include hearing problems and nervousness. Also, some people have problems when they start the therapy because their body is not used to the concentration level of the hormone. So it's best to consult with your doctor to make sure that your symptoms won't worsen during the course of treatment with an inhibitor.