The use of PARP inhibitors has been a successful approach for the treatment of BRCA1 associated breast cancer and ovarian cancer.  However, only about 5% of all breast cancer patients and around 10% of ovarian cancer patients have a BRCA1 mutation.  This small population limits the potential market for PARP inhibitors.  One solution to this problem is the development of compounds that inhibit the function of BRCA1, which essentially mimics the genetic loss of function seen in BRCA1 associated cancer patients.  Researchers at the University of Nebraska Medical Center have developed modified peptides that are capable of inhibiting BRCA1 function.  These peptides bind to the BRCT domains of BRCA1 which prevent BRCA1 from interacting with downstream substrates and inhibit its ability to regulate the DNA damage response and DNA repair.  A high affinity lead peptide has been identified that has a K_i of 40 nM.  These peptides have the potential to increase the usefulness of PARP inhibitors outside of BRCA1 associated cancers, which will greatly expand their current market.  We are interested in developing a partnership with industry to test our peptides with PARP inhibitors in various cancer models to determine their efficacy and establish their usefulness in enhancing the usefulness of PARP inhibitors in non-BRCA1 associated cancers.