Researchers capture major chemotherapeutic target in complex
with DNA damageMay 10th, 2012 in Medical research An
investigation led by John M. Pascal, Ph.D., an assistant
professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular
Biology at Thomas Jefferson University and Jefferson's Kimmel
Cancer Center, revealed new target sites for drugs aiming to
stop PARP-1 activity. Credit: Thomas Jefferson University A new
study published in Science May 11 is shedding light on the
molecular details of PARP-1, a DNA damage-detecting enzyme that
when inhibited has been shown to be effective in fighting cancer
and other diseases. The investigation led by John M. Pascal,
Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Department of Biochemistry
and Molecular Biology at Thomas Jefferson University and
Jefferson's Kimmel Cancer Center, revealed new target
sitesincluding specialized "zinc finger" domainsfor drugs aiming
to stop PARP-1 activity. The idea for this area of research is
to identify more specific PARP-1 inhibitors that achieve