Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP1) as a therapeutic target in acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome.

Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP1) is a key mediator of various forms of DNA damage repair and plays an important role in the progression of several cancer types. The enzyme is activated by binding to DNA single-strand and double-strand breaks. Its contribution to chromatin remodeling makes PARP1 crucial for gene expression regulation. Inhibition of its activity with small molecules, leads to the synthetic lethal effect by impeding DNA repair in the treatment of cancer cells. At first PARP1 inhibitors (PARPi) were developed to target BRCA mutated cancer cells. Currently, PARPi are being studied to be used in a broader variety of patients either as single agents or in combination with chemotherapy, antiangiogenic agents, ionizing radiation, and immune checkpoint inhibitors. Ongoing clinical trials on olaparib, rucaparib, niraparib, veliparib and the most recent talazoparib show the advantage of these agents in overcoming PARPi resistance and underline their efficacy in targeted treatment of several hematologic malignancies. In this review, focusing on the crucial role of PARP1 in physiological and pathological effects in myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML), we give an outline of the enzyme's mechanisms of action and its role in the pathophysiology and prognosis of MDS/AML and we analyze the available data on the use of PARPi, highlighting their promising advances in clinical application.