Onkológia 5/2017

Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors in the treatment of ovarian cancer

Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors are a new group of drugs for the target treatment of ovarian cancer. Alteration of homologous recombination (HR) pathways have been postulated to be associated with 30 – 50% of ovarian carcinomas. Cells that are deficient in HR rely on alternative pathways for DNA repair in order to survive. The role of PARP in DNA damage repair has led to interest in the use of PARP inhibitors as chemo-sensitizers in cancer therapy, with the higher efficacy in mutation of BRCA1/2. Recently, olaparib was granted accelerated approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a therapy for recurrent ovarian cancer in patients with germline BRCA mutations. Olaparib is being explored in a certain patient population in combination with other target molecules or cytotoxic drugs. Several other PARP inhibitors are undergoing clinical trials, results are expected during the next 2–5 years and will most likely extend the opportunities for treatment of ovarian cancer.

Keywords: ovarian cancer, PARP inhibitors, mutation of BRCA, DNA reparation pathway