Poly(adp-ribose) polymerase inhibitors: a novel drug class with a promising future.

Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors are an exciting new class of antineoplastic agents that impair the ability of cells to recover from DNA damage. They are most effective in the setting of inherent DNA repair defects, such as in cancers resulting from BRCA gene mutations, or in the setting of DNA-damaging chemotherapeutic agents. This article reviews the background and development of these agents in the laboratory, as well as the rationale for the biologic correlative studies used in clinical trials. The most recent data from the clinical trials of olaparib (AZD2281, KU-0059436), BSI-201, AG014699, ABT-888, and INO-1001 and descriptions of ongoing studies are also presented.