New inhibitors of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase and their potential therapeutic targets

Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) is a DNA-binding protein that is activated by nicks in the DNA molecule. It regulates the activity of various enzymes, including itself, that are involved in the control of DNA metabolism. Evidence obtained with both benzamide and isoquinolinone PARP inhibitors and the PARP-1(-/-) phenotype, clearly indicate that PARP plays an important role in NO/ROS-induced cell damage during inflammation, ischaemia and...