PARP inhibitors affect growth, survival and radiation susceptibility of human alveolar and embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma cell lines

Purpose PARP inhibitors (PARPi) are used in a wide range of human solid tumours but a limited evidence is reported in rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), the most frequent childhood soft-tissue sarcoma. The cellular and molecular effects of Olaparib, a specific PARP1/2 inhibitor, and AZD2461, a newly synthesized PARP1/2/3 inhibitor, were assessed in alveolar and embryonal RMS cells both as single-agent and in combination with ionizing radiation (IR).