How PARP enzymes and PAR 'condensates' help cells repair damaged DNA
Official title: Project 3: PARP: PAR-dependent, phase-transitioned protein assemblies and DNA repair
Funded at University of Calif-Lawrenc Berkeley Lab · NIH-11178315 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This research looks at how PARP enzymes make sugar-like PAR chains that create repair hubs to help fix damaged DNA in cancers.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Calif-Lawrenc Berkeley Lab NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Berkeley, United States) |
| Project start | September 27, 2001 |
| Project end | August 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $337,963 |
| NIH project number | 5P01CA092584-25 |
| Project ID | NIH-11178315 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Findings are most relevant to people with cancers linked to DNA-repair defects—such as BRCA-associated breast or ovarian cancers—where PARP-targeted treatments are used.
✕Less likely to help
People without DNA-repair–related cancers or those looking for an immediate new treatment are unlikely to get direct benefit from this basic laboratory project.
What this research studies
From your perspective, scientists at UC Berkeley are studying proteins called PARP1 and PARP2 that add chains of ADP-ribose (PAR) to other proteins after DNA damage. They will use purified proteins, cell models, and structural and biochemical techniques to see how PAR length and shape seed phase-separated compartments that gather DNA-repair machines. The team will test how the cofactor HPF1 and PAR structure change repair outcomes at different kinds of DNA lesions. Results aim to explain how PAR-driven condensates influence repair and why PARP-targeting drugs work or fail.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could guide better use of PARP inhibitors and suggest new ways to target DNA-repair processes in cancer.
How similar studies have gone: PARP inhibitors are already effective in some DNA-repair–deficient cancers, but studying PAR-driven phase separation as a mechanism is a newer approach with limited clinical testing so far.
Where this research is happening
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University of Calif-Lawrenc Berkeley Lab
Berkeley, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Paull, Tanya T — University of Calif-Lawrenc Berkeley Lab
- Study coordinator: Paull, Tanya T
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.