Why PARP cancer drugs can damage bone marrow

Mechanisms of Parp inhibitor-induced bone marrow toxicities

NIH-funded research University of Wisconsin-Madison · NIH-11326260

This project is finding out how PARP cancer drugs can cause low blood counts and bone marrow damage in people treated with them.

Quick facts

Grant typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Madison, United States)
Project IDNIH-11326260 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

From your perspective, the team will look at how PARP inhibitors affect blood-forming stem and progenitor cells and cause DNA damage and cell death in laboratory tests. They plan to compare cells with and without inherited or acquired mutations (for example BRCA1/2 changes) to see who is more vulnerable. The researchers will use patient samples alongside laboratory models to trace how PARP drugs trap repair proteins on DNA and lead to breaks that cells cannot fix. Their goal is to connect those molecular events to the serious drops in blood counts and rare therapy-related bone marrow cancers seen in some patients.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal candidates are people who have received or may receive PARP inhibitor therapy for cancer, especially those with BRCA1/2 mutations or unexplained low blood counts.

Not a fit: People without exposure to PARP drugs or whose conditions are unrelated to bone marrow or DNA-repair problems are unlikely to benefit directly.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help doctors predict and prevent severe blood-count problems from PARP drugs and make treatment safer.

How similar studies have performed: PARP inhibitors have helped many cancer patients, but explaining and preventing bone marrow toxicities is a newer area and remains not well understood.

Where this research is happening

Madison, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Conditions Anti-Cancer Agents
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.