Inhibition of PARP activity can lead to the accumulation of DNA damage, ultimately triggering cell death pathways such as apoptosis. PARP inhibitors have been developed as a therapeutic strategy in cancer treatment, particularly targeting tumors with existing defects in homologous recombination repair, like those with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations. By blocking PARP, cancer cells are unable to efficiently repair DNA damage, leading to cell death, while normal cells with intact repair pathways are less affected.
